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NEET CHEMISTRYEasy

The radioisotope, tritium (13H^3_1H) has a half-life of 12.3 years. If the initial amount of tritium is 32 mg, how many milligrams of it would remain after 49.2 years:

A

1 mg

B

2 mg

C

4 mg

D

8 mg

Step-by-Step Solution

Radioactive decay follows first-order kinetics. The amount of radioactive substance remaining (NN) after nn half-lives is given by the formula:

N=N02nN = \frac{N_0}{2^n}

where N0N_0 is the initial amount of the substance.

Given: Initial amount, N0=32 mgN_0 = 32 \text{ mg} Half-life, t1/2=12.3 yearst_{1/2} = 12.3 \text{ years} Total time, t=49.2 yearst = 49.2 \text{ years}

First, calculate the number of half-lives (nn): n=tt1/2=49.2 years12.3 years=4n = \frac{t}{t_{1/2}} = \frac{49.2 \text{ years}}{12.3 \text{ years}} = 4

Now, substitute the values into the formula to find the remaining amount: N=3224=3216=2 mgN = \frac{32}{2^4} = \frac{32}{16} = 2 \text{ mg}

Therefore, 2 mg of tritium would remain after 49.2 years.

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