Radon-222 has a decay constant of

PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Nuclear physics · Nuclear physics

Problem

Radon-222 has a decay constant of 0.181 day−10.181\,\text{day}^{-1}. Thoron (radon-220) has a half-life of 54.5 s54.5\,\text{s}. A sealed container initially holds equal numbers of nuclei of the two gases. (i) Find the half-life of radon-222 in hours. (ii) Calculate the ratio of the numbers of undecayed nuclei of radon-222 to thoron remaining after 5.0 minutes5.0\,\text{minutes}. (iii) Based on your result, state which gas is more suitable for long-term radiation tests and justify your choice.

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