4
AssignmentMultiple Choice

Half-Life

Question 4 • Foothill-B Period-Chemistry-26/27B

The hypothesis states that the fraction of radioactive nuclei after n half-lives is 0.5n.In this expression, the value 0.5 represents

Answer
A
the fraction of nuclei still radioactive after any half-life cycle.
B
the fraction of nuclei still radioactive at the start of the experiment.
C
the amount of time it takes half of the radioactive atoms to decay.
D
the number of half-life cycles.

Explanation

Each half-life leaves half of the radioactive nuclei undecayed, so the remaining fraction is multiplied by 0.5 after every cycle. Thus, in the expression 0.5ⁿ, 0.5 is the fraction remaining after any one half-life cycle. The half-life’s duration is a measure of time, not the fraction 0.5.

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