Half-Life and Radioactive Decay

136 - Half-Life and Radioactive Decay

In this video Paul Andersen explains how a radioactive nuclei can decay by releasing an alpha, beta, or gamma particle. The exact moment of decay for each nuclei can not be determined but probability is useful in predicting the half-life. The half-life is the amount of time required for half of the radioactive nuclei to decays and depends on the decay constant. Several examples of decay and several half-lives are included.

Do you speak another language? Help me translate my videos:

Music Attribution
Title: String Theory
Artist: Herman Jolly

All of the images are licensed under creative commons and public domain licensing:

[mikefixac]

This guy truly is a good teacher. Man I wish he'd continue doing videos.

[humanabeel]

Just in time for my MCAT. I'd been looking for this in your playlists. Thank you, Mr. Andersen! :)

[code]

Bonus: It is found that 2.0x10-5 mol 222Rn (t1/2 = 3.82 d) has seeped into a closed basement with a volume of 2.0x103 m3. (a) What is the initial activity of the radon in picocuries per liter (pCi-L-1)? (b) How many atoms of 222Rn will remain after 1 day (24 h)? (c) How long will it take for the radon to decay to below the EPA recommended level of 4 pCi-L-1? (This item is worth 50 points. Points from this item will be carried over to your long exam.)
Hint: 1 Ci = 3.7x1010 atoms/sec

[jackfaradjian]

You are helping me out with my 7th grade science fair project

Well explained, love the dice example! Thank you!

[quakezero]

If anyone wants more information:

Half-Life: Decay is a multiplayer-only expansion pack for Valve's first-person shooter Half-Life. Developed by Gearbox Software and published by Sierra On-Line, Decay was released as part of the PlayStation 2 version of Half-Life in 2001. It is the third expansion pack for Half-Life, and like its predecessors, Decay returns to the setting and timeline of the original story, albeit portraying the story from the viewpoint of a different set of protagonists: two female scientists working in the Black Mesa Research Facility. Decay is a cooperative multiplayer game, designed to be played by two people working together to pass through the game's levels.

[HJeff]

Great video. Thank you Mr. Andersen and please keep making these videos.

[basicbloggerss]

Thanks Mr. Anderson!! You have helped me and my friend so much

[Rctmaster]

Prepare for... Unforseen consequences....

[wins]

I realize its a small sample but since we are using this sample we cannot ssay that the half life was consistent. The 4th and 5th half lives were radically different.

[xiiixiiih.]

Why is it so vibrant not just material felt?

[oscarwang]

+Bozeman Science
Isn't a gamma ray not a particle, but just a form of radiation? Just clarifying because in class, my teacher emphasized that it's just energy.

[diannepatti]

How can we KNOW what the original amounts of the radioactive isotopes were?

[MiamiDuke]

Barium was charged? Maybe excited state...

[Troynjk]

The half life of mister Anderson’s neurons is 5 billion years. How do I know this ? Just trust me bro.

[animalslife]

Honestly, I dont understand why the results of die is consistent. Can you help me understand why its is consistent? Thanks a lot!

[samsnushall]

there are 17 1s at the start not sixteen

[mikeyt]

at 01:00 you said that the half life is conssistant. What is consistant about it?

[Troynjk]

The half life of mister Anderson’s neurons is 5 billion years. How do I know this ? Just trust me bro.