Physics 9702 · AS & A Level · Radioactive decay

Radioactive decay — practice question

Iodine-131 $^{131}_{53}\text{I}$ is a radioactive isotope that has a decay constant equal to $9.9 \times 10^{-7}\,\text{s}^{-1}$.
(a(i))[2]

State what the term radioactive means.

(a(ii))[2]

State what is meant by the decay constant.

(b)[2]

Water has become contaminated with iodine-131. The activity of the iodine-131 in $1.0\,\text{kg}$ of water is $560\,\text{Bq}$. Determine how many iodine-131 atoms are present in $1.0\,\text{kg}$ of water.

(c)[3]

Regulations state that the activity of iodine-131 in $1.0\,\text{kg}$ of water must be below $170\,\text{Bq}$. Calculate the time, in days, for the activity of the contaminated water in (b) to fall to $170\,\text{Bq}$.

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