Question

Carbon-14 emits beta radiation and decays with a half-life (t ) of 5730 years. Assume that you start with a mass of 6000 g of carbon 14. How many grams of the isotope remains at the end of four half-lives?

Answer 1

After one half life, you have half left
After two half life's, you have half of the half

So let's at you started with 100 g
After one half life, you'll have 100/2 which is 50 g
After another half life, you'll have 50/2 which is 25 g
After the third half life, you'll have 25/2 = 12.5 g

Answer 2

So similarly, can you do that for your question to find how much is left after four half lives

Answer 3

Correct

Answer 4

That's your answer

Isotope is something that has the same number of protons but varying neutron

Answer 5

oh, so isotope basically means Carbon-14 for this question?

Answer 6

Yeah, how much carbon 14 is left since the rest of it became something else with the decay