If $75 \%$ of a radioactive sample disintegrates in 16 days, the half-life of the radioactive sample is

If $75 \%$ of a radioactive sample disintegrates in 16 days, the half-life of the radioactive sample is
  1. 6
  2. 4 days
  3. 8
  4. 12

Solution

If $N_0$ be the initial amount of radioactive sample, then after $t=16$ day, remaining amount, $\begin{aligned} N & =N_0-75 \% \text { of } N_0 \\ & =N_0-\frac{75}{100} N_0=\frac{N_0}{4} \end{aligned}$ Since, we know that, $\begin{aligned} & N=N_0\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^n \Rightarrow \frac{N_0}{4}=N_0\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^n \\ \Rightarrow & \frac{1}{4}=\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^n \Rightarrow\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^2=\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^n \\ \Rightarrow & n=2 \Rightarrow \frac{t}{T_{1 / 2}}=2 \Rightarrow \frac{16}{T_{1 / 2}}=2 \\ \Rightarrow \quad & T_{1 / 2}=\frac{16}{2}=8 \text { days } \end{aligned}$

Asked in: AP EAMCET 2020 (22 Sep Shift 2)

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