Radioactivity decay: An isotope has a half-life of 2 hours. What fraction remains after 6 hours? Assume simple first-order decay. Choose the correct remaining fraction.
IIT JEE
Chemistry
Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
-
A1/2
-
B1/4
-
C1/8
-
D1/16
Answer
Correct Answer: 1/8
Explanation
Given
- Half-life t1/2 = 2 h; elapsed time t = 6 h.
CalculationNumber of half-lives = t / t1/2 = 6/2 = 3.Remaining fraction = (1/2)3 = 1/8 = 0.125.
Final Answer1/8 of the initial quantity remains.