Question

Actinium-227 has a half-life of approximately 22 years. Which of the following equations correctly models the amount of actinium-227 remaining after t years? Round k to three decimal places.(1 point)
Responses

P(t)=P0e−0.032t
upper P left parenthesis t right parenthesis equals upper P subscript 0 baseline e superscript negative 0.032 t baseline

P(t)=P0e0.693t
upper P left parenthesis t right parenthesis equals upper P subscript 0 baseline e superscript 0.693 t baseline

P(t)=P0e−0.693t
upper P left parenthesis t right parenthesis equals upper P subscript 0 baseline e superscript negative 0.693 t baseline

P(t)=P0e0.032t
upper P left parenthesis t right parenthesis equals upper P subscript 0 baseline e superscript 0.032 t baseline

1 answer

To model the amount of actinium-227 remaining after \( t \) years, we can use the formula for exponential decay:

\[ P(t) = P_0 e^{-kt} \]

where:

  • \( P(t) \) is the remaining quantity of the substance at time \( t \),
  • \( P_0 \) is the initial quantity of the substance,
  • \( k \) is the decay constant,
  • \( t \) is time.

The decay constant \( k \) can be determined from the half-life formula. The relationship between the half-life (\( t_{1/2} \)) and the decay constant (\( k \)) is given by:

\[ k = \frac{\ln(2)}{t_{1/2}} \]

For actinium-227, the half-life \( t_{1/2} \) is approximately 22 years. Therefore:

\[ k = \frac{\ln(2)}{22} \]

Calculating this:

\[ \ln(2) \approx 0.693 \] \[ k \approx \frac{0.693}{22} \approx 0.0315 \]

Rounding \( k \) to three decimal places:

\[ k \approx 0.032 \]

Thus, the correct equation that models the amount of actinium-227 remaining after \( t \) years is:

\[ P(t) = P_0 e^{-0.032t} \]

Therefore, the correct response is:

\[ P(t) = P_0 e^{-0.032t} \]