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Please make sure to show step by step work including the equations used and thei

ID: 1623385 • Letter: P

Question

Please make sure to show step by step work including the equations used and their derivations. Will be sure to rate. (H8-16) Many radioisotopes have important industrial, medical, and research applications. One such radioisotope is ouCo, which has a half-life of 5.2 yr and decays by the emission of a beta particle (energy 0.31 MeV) and two gamma photons (energies 1.17 MeV and 1.33 MeV). A scientist wishes to prepare a Co sealed source that will have an activi of at least 9.4 Ci after 26 months of use. What is the minimum initial mass o required?

Explanation / Answer

Let initial activity of the isotope be A0. Final isotope after 26 months is A = 9.4 Ci.

Then, we have,

= ln2/t1/2 = 0.693/5.2yr, where is the decay constant.

Initial and final activity is related as,

A = A0e-t, putting  A = 9.4 Ci, = 0.693/5.2yr and t = 26 months = 26/12 yr = 2.166 yr we get,

9.4 Ci = A0e-(0.693/5.2yr)(2.167 yr)

or, 9.4 Ci = A0e-0.288

or,  9.4 Ci = A0(0.75)

or, A0 = 12.55 Ci

Now, we know that A0 = N, where N is the number of atoms of isotope A0 is the activity when the number of atom is N.

So, A0 = N, given

12.55 Ci = (0.693/5.2yr)N, we know that 1 Ci = 3.7X1010 decays/s, so

12.55(3.7X1010 decays/s) = [0.693/(5.2X365X24X3600 s)]N, (as 1 yr = 365X24X3600 s)

or, N = 1.098X1020

Co-60 has atomic mass of 60. So 1 mole or 6.022X1023 of Co-60 will have 60 g of Co

So, 1.098X1020 of Co will have,

m = [60g/( 6.022X1023)](1.098X1020)

m = 10.945X10-3g

or, m = 10.945 mg of initial mass is required.

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