Question 10 After five half-lives, the remaining fraction of radioactive isotope

Question

Question 10

After five half-lives, the remaining fraction of radioactive isotope is 1/x where x = A club is formed. After 12 days, 1/4 of the people are still in the club. What is the half-life for the club members? Exactly why is so much energy released when an atom like ^235 U undergoes fission? ^222 Radon, a gas, is formed in the subsurface from the decay of ^226 Radium, which is in a solid mineral form. The half life for ^222 Radon to ^218 Polonium is 3.8 days. Essentially none of the ^218 Polonium will be gaseous. Why wouldn't radon be a threat if the half life was 50 days?

Explanation / Answer

Half-life tells us how long the isotope will last before it decays into something else.

There are 2 factors:

Firstly, radon is a gas and thus can enter the body very easily through inhalation.Secondly, 222Rn and its first four products are extremely radioactive with their corresponding half-lives of miliseconds to few days,releasing alpha and beta radiations.

When the 2 combines there seems to have a problem. Even if this quantity is low inhalation of radon places an extremely radioactive substance at very close proximity to ones lungs. Generally alpha and beta rays are not that harmless to human body as they cant penetrate the body.Also if the half life of radon increases then ultimately other products releases also prolonges.

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