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Radio-isotopes of different elements have different half-lives. Cobalt-60 has a half-life of 13.75 minutes. What is the decay constant (k) for cobalt-60?

User Leo Zhu
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Answer:

To find the decay constant (k) for cobalt-60, we can use the formula:

k = ln(2) / half-life

where ln represents the natural logarithm.

Given that the half-life of cobalt-60 is 13.75 minutes, we can substitute this value into the formula:

k = ln(2) / 13.75

To calculate the value of k, we divide the natural logarithm of 2 by 13.75:

k ≈ 0.0504 minutes⁻¹

So, the decay constant (k) for cobalt-60 is approximately 0.0504 minutes⁻¹.

The decay constant represents the probability of a radioactive nucleus decaying per unit time. In this case, it indicates the rate at which cobalt-60 nuclei decay.

Explanation:

User Mingos
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