Fundamentals of Physics Extended (10th Edition)

Published by Wiley
ISBN 10: 1-11823-072-8
ISBN 13: 978-1-11823-072-5

Chapter 42 - Nuclear Physics - Questions - Page 1302: 14a

Answer

If the mass of a radioactive sample is doubled, the activity increases.

Work Step by Step

We can write an expression for the decay rate: $R = \lambda~N = \frac{N~ln(2)}{T_{1/2}}$ $N$ is the number of radioactive atoms $T_{1/2}$ is the half-life If the mass is doubled, then the value of $N$ doubles. Since $T_{1/2}$ does not depend on the mass, $R$ also doubles when the mass is doubled. Therefore, if the mass of a radioactive sample is doubled, the activity increases.
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