Question

A certain radioactive isotope has a half-life of 5 days. If one is to make a table showing the half-life decay of a sample of this isotope from 32 grams to 1 gram; list the time (in days, starting with t = 0) in the first column and the mass remaining (in grams) in the second column, which type of sequence is used in the first column and which type of sequence is used in the second column?

Answer 1

Well, do it. Let's see the table.

Answer 2

There is no table, this is a geometric sequence question

Answer 3

You are to create the table. Up in the problem statement... "if one is to make a table"

Yes, the second column should be a geometric sequence. That's part of the answer.

You don't HAVE to create the table, but it may help answer the question.

Answer 4

Oh yeah sorry haha so it would be:
0,1,2,3,4
32,....,1 and then I dont know the rest of the mass amounts

Answer 5

Nice try, but you're working too hard. Pick easy values. I'll give you one for free, just to help you broaden your thinking.

Answer 6

Ohh I thought I had to start from 0 to 4 for 5 days but okay

Answer 7

See, we changed your thinking a little. Mission accomplished! :-)

Answer 8

What kind of sequence is in the first column?

Answer 9

arithmetic? cause you add 5

Answer 10

and the second column is geometric

Answer 11

Done! Good work.

Answer 12

Oh wow i guess i overcomplicate things too much

Answer 13

Nope. It was a thinking shift. ALWAYS look for different ways to think about it. Over-complicate? Over-simplify? Bah!! No need to assign value judgments to different thinking.

Answer 14

hahah true!!