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Part A You are using a Geiger counter to measure the activity of a radioactive s

ID: 552558 • Letter: P

Question

Part A You are using a Geiger counter to measure the activity of a radioactive substance over the course of several minutes. If the reading of 400 counts has diminished to 100. counts after 83.4 minutes , what is the half-life of this substance? Express your answer with the appropriate units Hints t1/2= 1 Value Units Submit My Answers Give Up Part B An unknown radioactive substance has a half-life of 3.20 hours. If 43.8 g of the substance is currently present, what mass Ao was present 8.00 hours ago? Express your answer with the appropriate units Hints |Ag= Value Units Submit My Answers Give Up

Explanation / Answer

A)

we have:

[A]o = 400

[A] = 100

t = 83.4 min

use integrated rate law for 1st order reaction

ln[A] = ln[A]o - k*t

ln(100) = ln(400) - k*83.4

4.6052 = 5.9915 - k*83.4

k*83.4 = 1.3863

k = 1.662*10^-2 min-1

we have:

k = 0.0166 min-1

use relation between rate constant and half life of 1st order reaction

t1/2 = (ln 2) / k

= 0.693/(k)

= 0.693/(1.662*10^-2)

= 41.7 min

Answer: 41.7 minutes

B)

we have:

Half life = 3.2 hours

use relation between rate constant and half life of 1st order reaction

k = (ln 2) / k

= 0.693/(half life)

= 0.693/(3.2)

= 0.2166 hours-1

we have:

[A] = 43.8 g

t = 8.0 hours

k = 0.2166 hours-1

use integrated rate law for 1st order reaction

ln[A] = ln[A]o - k*t

ln(43.8) = ln[A]o - 0.2166*8

ln[A]o = 3.7796 + 0.2166*8

ln[A]o = 5.5121

[A]o = 248 g

Answer: 248 g

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