A student plots (common logarithm) against time (in hours) for a radioactive sample…

PHYSICS · Single correct · A Level · Physics · Nuclear physics · Nuclear physics

Problem

A student plots

\log_{10} N

(common logarithm) against time

t

(in hours) for a radioactive sample and obtains a straight line with slope

-0.012\,\text{h}^{-1}

. The decay constant

\lambda

of the sample, expressed in

\text{h}^{-1}

, is approximately (a)

0.012

(b)

0.052

(c)

0.028

(d)

0.024