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: 14b

Answer

If the mass of a radioactive sample is doubled, the disintegration constant remains the same.

Work Step by Step

We can write an expression for the disintegration constant: $\lambda = \frac{ln(2)}{T_{1/2}}$ $T_{1/2}$ is the half-life Note that $T_{1/2}$ does not depend on the mass. If the mass is doubled, the value of $T_{1/2}$ does not change. It follows that the disintegration constant does not change. Therefore, if the mass of a radioactive sample is doubled, the disintegration constant remains the same.
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