The half life of a radioisotope is the time taken for the current level of radioactivity to drop to half that amount. Note that this means radioactive decay follows the curve of a decaying exponential. Oh, as mentioned, it is also somewhat of a revolutionary computer game. "As for the suit, I think you've earned it"
Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,730 years. Let's say its radioactivity 'level' at time = 0 is 2. After around 5,730, its radioactivity will be 1, After a further 5,370 years its radioactivity will be 0.5, and after yet another half life, the radioactivty would be 0.25, and so on.
by Chavez77 June 22, 2006
Get the half life mug.1 : the time required for half of something to undergo a process: as a : the time required for half of the atoms of a radioactive substance to become disintegrated b : the time required for half the amount of a substance (as a drug or radioactive tracer) in or introduced into a living system or ecosystem to be eliminated or disintegrated by natural processes
2 : a period of usefulness or popularity preceding decline or obsolescence <slang usually has a short half-life>
2 : a period of usefulness or popularity preceding decline or obsolescence <slang usually has a short half-life>
For americium-241, it is known that half of the atoms decay in 458 years. Therefore, 458 years is the half-life of americium-241. Every radioactive element has a different half-life, ranging from fractions of a second to millions of years, depending on the specific isotope. For example, americium-243 has a half-life of 7,370 years.
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