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Find the half-life (in hours) of a radioactive substance that is reduced by 35 percent in 15 hours.

User Wrokar
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Given that radioactive substance is reduced by 35 percent in 15 hours.

Let N(0) be the initial quantity and N(15) be the quantity of substance after 15 hours.


N(15)=35\text{ \%of N(0)}


N(15)=(35)/(100)*\text{N(0)}

We know that the formula to find the quantity of substance after t hours is


N(t)=N(0)*(0.5)^{(t)/(T)}

T is the half-life time.


\text{Substitute }t=15,\text{ N(15)=}(35)/(100)N(0),\text{ we get}


(35)/(100)* N(0)=N(0)*(0.5)^{(15)/(T)}

Cancel out N(0), we get


(35)/(100)=(0.5)^{(15)/(T)}


0.35=(0.5)^{(15)/(T)}

Taking log on both sides, we get


In0.35=In(0.5)^{(15)/(T)}
\text{ Use }In(a^n)=n\text{ In(a).}


In0.35=(15)/(T)(In(0.5))^{}


T=15*(In\mleft(0.5\mright))/(In(0.35))


T=15*(-0.6931)/(-1.0498)=9.9033
T=9.9=10

Hence the half-life time is 10 hours.

User Jayakrishnan
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