Half Life Flashcards
1
Q
Why does the older a sample becomes result in it emitting less radiation?
A
Each time decay happens and an alpha/beta/gamma particle is released one radioactive nucleus has disappeared so as time goes on all the unstable nuclei will steadily go decreasing the activity
2
Q
What is the problem with trying to measure decay time?
A
Thé activity never teacher zero which is why we use half life
3
Q
What is the definition of half life?
A
Half life is the average time it takes for the number of nuclei in a radioactive isotope sample to half
4
Q
What is the count rate?
A
The number of radioactive emissions detected per unit of time
5
Q
What does a short half life mean?
A
The activity falls quickly because lots of the nuclei decay quickly
