Objective Methodology Presentation Analysis Discussion Conclusion Total
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PHY 310 EXPERIMENT 5 : THE ANALOGY OF A
RADIOACTIVE DECAY
Niesa Irdina Syafiqa binti Samsul Kamal (2018231644)
AS1204J, Diploma in Science, Faculty of Applied Science
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Cawangan Pahang, Jengka Campus
email : [email protected]
Objectives
1. To understand that radioactive decay is a random process.
2. To determine the half-life (T1/2) of a radioactive decay.
Theory
The radioactive decay is a random process whereby the nucleus of a radioactive particle decays
by emitting α-particles, β-particles or γ-rays. The rate of decay of a nucleus at any time is
proportional to the number of atoms, N, i.e.:
𝑑𝑁
𝛼𝑁 (1)
𝑑𝑇
OR
𝑑𝑁
= −𝜆𝑁 (2)
𝑑𝑇
where λ is the decay constant. The negative sign indicates that the number of atoms is
decreasing as time increases.
If 𝑁𝑜 is the number of atoms at time t=0, then the number of atoms N at time t is given b
𝑁 = 𝑁𝑜 𝑒 −𝜆𝑡 (3)
The half-life, 𝑇1/2 , is the time needed for half of the original nucleus to decay. The equation
relating 𝑇1/2 to λ is
ln 2
𝑇1/2 = (4)
𝜆
Methodology
1. By using the website as shown in the figure 1, https://www.randomnumbergenerator.org/,
the ‘dice number’ had been set up to 150 where it represented as 150 dices.
2. The value 1 had been set as this cube later will assume to have ‘decayed’.
3. After rolled the dices, the numbers of the marking point were counted and assumed it
as to have decayed, while the remaining dices will count as ‘not decayed’. Again, the
remaining dices that have ‘not decayed’ were rolled until 10 times.
4. The steps 1 to 3 was repeated 3 times where each time was starting with 150 dices. At
the end of the process, assumed as we had started with the 600 dices altogether.
5. All the data had been recorded in the table below.
6. The graph of N versus t was plotted. The half-life, 𝑇1/2, was determined from this graph.
7. The graph of ln N versus t was plotted. The decay constant, λ was determined from the
slope of the graph.
8. By using the equation (4), 𝑇1/2 of this process was calculated.
Figure 1
Results
Table 1
Time No of Collected Dice ( Decay) No of uncollected Dice ( Undecay) Undecay
Ln N
t 1st cycle 2nd 3rd 4th TOTAL 1st cycle 2nd 3rd 4th TOTAL N
0 0 0 0 0 0 150 150 150 150 600 600 6.396929655
1 28 28 22 20 98 122 122 128 130 502 502 6.21860012
2 17 25 22 25 89 105 97 106 105 413 413 6.023447593
3 11 20 22 19 72 94 77 84 86 341 341 5.831882477
4 10 12 10 18 50 84 65 74 68 291 291 5.673323267
5 15 6 13 9 43 69 59 61 59 248 248 5.513428746
6 14 12 9 6 41 55 47 52 53 207 207 5.332718793
7 7 7 13 6 33 48 40 39 47 174 174 5.159055299
8 6 8 5 10 29 42 32 34 37 145 145 4.976733742
9 9 7 5 4 25 33 25 29 33 120 120 4.787491743
10 5 3 4 6 18 28 22 25 27 102 102 4.624972813
N Versus t
700
N
600
500
y = 593.36e-0.176x
400
300
200
100
0
0 2 3.88 4 6 8 10 12
t
Half Life
Figure 2 : Graph of N versus t
Based on the graph,
𝑁𝑜 600
= =
2 2
= 300
𝑌 = 593.36𝑒 −0.176𝑥
300 = 593.36𝑒 −0.176𝑥
= 3.88
Thus, the half life 𝑇1/2 value was determined based on the graph; 3.88
ln N Versus t
7
ln N 6
y = -0.1765x + 6.3858
5
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
t
Figure 3 : Graph of ln N versus t
y = -0.1765x + 6.3858
Based on the equation, the decay constant, λ was determined from the slope of the
graph.
𝑚 = 0.1765
Thus, the decay constant, λ is 0.1765
By using the equation (4), 𝑇1/2 of this process was calculated:
ln 2
𝑇1/2 = (4)
𝜆
ln 2
𝑇1/2 =
0.1765
= 3.93
Discussion
1) What is the shape of the graph of N versus t ?
Inversely proportional
2) Show how equation (3) was derived from equation (2).
𝑑𝑁
= −𝜆𝑁 (2)
𝑑𝑇
1 𝑑𝑁
= −𝜆
𝑁 𝑑𝑇
1
∫ 𝑑𝑁 = ∫ −𝜆 𝑑𝑇
𝑁
𝑙𝑛𝑁 = −𝜆𝑡 + 𝑘
𝐴𝑡 𝑡 = 0 , 𝑁 = 𝑁0
𝑙𝑛𝑁0 = 𝑘
𝑙𝑛𝑁 = −𝜆𝑡 + 𝑙𝑛𝑁0
𝑒 𝑙𝑛𝑁 = 𝑒 −𝜆𝑡+𝑙𝑛𝑁0
𝑒 𝑙𝑛𝑁 = 𝑒 −𝜆𝑡 𝑒 𝑙𝑛𝑁0
𝑁 = 𝑁𝑜 𝑒 −𝜆𝑡 (3)
Conclusion
1. The value of T1/2 from graph N versus t is 3.88
2. The value of T1/2 determined from the graph of ln N versus t is 3.93
References
1. https://www.askiitians.com/iit-jee-radioactive-decay-of-substances/radioactive-decay-law/
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dni8BrIOavw
