How to do half life calculations?

Are you ready for some math that’s actually kind of fun? No, seriously – we’re going to teach you how to calculate half lives. Not only will this impress your science teacher (especially if it’s on a test), but you can also use this knowledge when talking about things like nuclear decay, carbon dating, and radioactive isotopes. But don’t worry – we’re not going to make this too boring or technical.

What is Half Life?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of calculations (yawn), let’s first define what half life means. It’s actually pretty simple: half-life refers to the amount of time it takes for something (such as an element) to decrease by half.

For example, pretend you have 10 grams of a certain element that has a 2-hour half life. After 2 hours, there would be 5 grams left; after another two hours pass (for a total of four), there would now only be 2.5 grams left… and so on and so forth until there eventually won’t be any measurable quantity remaining.

This concept isn’t limited solely to chemistry though – in fact, anything with a fixed rate at which it decays over time experiences half-life decay (aha!)

Now let’s jump into some specifics:

The Basic Equation

The equation used most often in calculating numbers during each “half” period is expressed below:

[Nf = Ni(1/2)^(t/T)]

First: Let’s start with Nf – This represents the number or quantity item left after t periods.
Secondly: Next up is Ni -This denotes initial amount present
Thirdly : Here comes our old friend t again; representing time elapsed
Lastly ,we’ve got T-stands for ‘Time Period’ i.e desired timeframe considered based upon situation/experiment(I know I said we weren’t going to get too technical, but bear with me!)

Examples of How Half Life Formulas Work

One common example is carbon dating. Carbon-14 was once used as an element in the atmosphere (and still remains a readily-available source for this process), and when plants absorb CO2 from the air, they take in that Carbon-14 which becomes a part of their structure.

Over time (a.k.a tens or even hundreds of thousands year(s)), half-life reduction occurs – slowly converting more and more of this C-14 into normal atmospheric nitrogen.However, thanks to ‘carbon-dating’ methods, scientists can actually determine how long ago an animal died by analyzing the amount it has left (mindblow)

Another example? Perhaps something more practical i.e medical field where isotopes are injected for treatment requiring calculations to be made surrounding precise decay & potential side effects?

In any case – let’s stick with this initial Carbon Dating discussion:

Let’s say you have some ice that comes from one section of Antarctica. You want to see just how old it is so you decide to figure out its half life using your handy calculator. Unless you’ve got access directly to lab data-information: [half-life = 5,700 years]

Step 1: Calculate what number the original quantity could been i.e If after measurement there were only 10 grams, how much must’ve existed originally?(Remembering half lives halve!)
So if we use our formula…
[2nd variable =Ni] initially present
[line]: Nf = Ni(1/2)^(t/T)]
[Ni= Nf (2^(t/T))] ->10g (2^0.0001923/half life)= ~531grams.
Meaning at present 531 g —–>divided by two every 5 ,700yrs!

Now once you know the original quantity, we can move ahead and determine further details over any given timeline:

Step 2: Calculate remaining amount of element present after a certain period has passed i.e If our material of ice really is 10 grams, how long did it take to decrease to that point?

[line]: Nf = Ni(1/2)^(t/T)]
[Logarithm equation follows; t ≠                              ]

Note:
—First up calculate [log (Nf/Ni)]
— οnce determined there’s just division by specified time T.

So in this particular case…

Log[Nf /Ni] = Log(10g /531 g)=-1.79 ( rounds down)
..We plug this into –Δt=(t/T) (-ln[Nf/Ni] )
So: ->T=5700yrs ; log[(Remnant Quantity)/(Original Component)= -1.79

Δt= ((-ln(-(-1.79)))∗T)/0.0001923 ,
which computes out roughly around ~500 years passing.(Get yourself some solid calculators!)

The Different Types of Half Life

Now that we’ve covered the basic principles and formulas for half-life calculations… let’s get technical!( I’m joking – as usual, but sometimes getting specific is important!)

There are actually three different types or classifications of half-life: mean lifetime, decay constant, and FWHM (WHAT?!). Let’s break each one down real quick…

Mean Lifetime

The average time particles tend to remain until they disintegrate from existence completely; It measures the time span between when an atom forms until when its nucleus decays completely(handclaps).

Decay Constant

Ever heard someone talking about “lambda” when discussing radiation? That’s shorthand for decay constant (λ). This number is the rate at which a decay occurs (per unit of time) or how likely an element will go through that ‘half life’ process (Probability game intensifies)

FWHM (“Full Width Half Maximum”)

A term used to express the range between two dispersion points (need clarity? Lookout for Graphs: where does red /blue/ purple curve cross half-value of peak point?)
This may seem confusing, but excited when dealing specifically with radioactive material interactions…

Tips for Half Life Success

Half-life calculations can be immensely useful in many fields including health and nuclear measurement, but there are some important things to keep in mind. These tips may not make you the coolest person at parties or impress Susy from math class (unless she’s as passionate about chemistry as you), but they will get accurate results.

1. Always check whether rates specified are per year ,month ,day etc.
2. Take note if initial quantity represents amount remaining or original starting quantity
3. Be sure your calculator is capable of handling log functions – this cannot be hammered home enough!
4. Finally — Double check your work!

Now that we’ve covered both broader concepts and nuanced principles surrounding half-life calculations-..calculate away! (and don’t forget to show off those newfound skills)