Asked by kelvin calin

Calcium-51 has a half-life of 4.5 days. Only 0.75 gram remains of a sample that was initially 12 grams.

How old is the sample of calcium-51?

4.5 days
9.0 days
13.5 days
18 days

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Use the half-life formula: remaining = initial*(1/2)^{t/4.5}.
0.75 = 12*(1/2)^{t/4.5} → (1/2)^{t/4.5} = 0.75/12 = 0.0625 = 1/16 = (1/2)^4.
So t/4.5 = 4 → t = 18 days.

Answer: 18 days.