Final answer:
Half-life is the time required for half of a radioactive sample to decay. It would take 300 days for a 50g sample with a half-life of 100 days to decay to 6.25g. Real-world applications of half-life include carbon dating, nuclear power, medical imaging, and food preservation. the correct option is A. Half-life is the time for half the sample to decay. It will take 75 days for the sample to decay to 6.25g. Real-world application: Carbon dating.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Half-Life
Half-life is defined as the period of time required for half of the radioactive nuclei in a sample to undergo decay. If the half-life of a substance is 100 days, we can determine how long it will take for a 50g sample to decay to just 6.25g by considering the decay process through multiple half-lives.
Initially, 50g will decay to 25g after one half-life (100 days), then from 25g to 12.5g after another half-life (200 days in total), and finally to 6.25g after yet another half-life (300 days in total). Thus, it will take three half-lives, or 300 days, for the sample to decay to 6.25g.
Half-life has various real-world applications; one of the most well-known is carbon dating, used to determine the age of archeological finds. Other applications include use in nuclear power for managing nuclear waste, in medical imaging to assist in diagnosing conditions without surgery, and in food preservation where radiation can kill bacteria and extend shelf life.
the correct option is A. Half-life is the time for half the sample to decay. It will take 75 days for the sample to decay to 6.25g. Real-world application: Carbon dating.