Half-life (AQA GCSE Physics): Flashcards
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Practise the cards
12 cards from this deck
What is half-life?
What is half-life?
Time for half of unstable atoms in a sample to decay
Unit for measuring radioactive activity
Unit for measuring radioactive activity
Becquerels (Bq)
What becquerels (Bq) measure
What becquerels (Bq) measure
How many atoms decay each second
Nature of decay for individual atoms
Nature of decay for individual atoms
Random process
Predictability of decay for large samples
Predictability of decay for large samples
Predictable overall pattern
% of atoms remaining after 1 half-life
% of atoms remaining after 1 half-life
50%
% of atoms remaining after 2 half-lives
% of atoms remaining after 2 half-lives
25%
% of atoms remaining after 3 half-lives
% of atoms remaining after 3 half-lives
12.5%
How to calculate each half-life period
How to calculate each half-life period
Divide by 2
Shape of half-life decay graphs
Shape of half-life decay graphs
Curved (exponential decay curve)
How graph steepness changes over time
How graph steepness changes over time
Gets less steep
Change in activity over time
Change in activity over time
Decreases