The half-life of a radioactive material is 6hrs. What quantity of 1kg of the material would decay in 24 hours?
A
\(\frac{15}{16}\)kg
B
\(\frac{1}{2}\)kg
C
\(\frac{1}{4}\)kg
D
\(\frac{1}{8}\)kg
E
\(\frac{1}{6}\)kg
Verified Correct Answer: A.
Physical Principles & Numerical Solution
To determine the quantity of a 1 kg radioactive material that decays in 24 hours, given a half-life of 6 hours:
The number of half-lives in 24 hours is:
\(\text{Number of half-lives} = \frac{24 \text{ hours}}{6 \text{ hours/half-life}} = 4\)
The remaining quantity after 4 half-lives is:
\(\text{Remaining quantity} = 1 \text{ kg} \times \left( \frac{1}{2} \right)^4 = 1 \text{ kg} \times \frac{1}{16} = \frac{1}{16} \text{ kg}\)
The decayed quantity is: \(\text{Decayed quantity} = 1 \text{ kg} - \frac{1}{16} \text{ kg} = \frac{15}{16} \text{ kg}\)
Thus, the quantity that decayed in 24 hours is: \(\frac{15}{16} \text{ kg}\)
Source: Myschool Past Questions Archive (Record #26312)