Measuring Half-Life
Physics: Cambridge International GCSE Supplement, topic 5.4.4
Measuring Half-Life
To find the half-life of a radioactive isotope, we must strip out the background radiation of the environment around us.
Calculation
- The level of radiation due to substance = level of radiation with substance and background radiation - level of background radiation.
Equipment
- We can work out the level of background radiation using a Geiger counter.
Test yourself on Measuring Half-Life
If the background count rate is 85, and the initial count rate is 1065, what is the count rate at the half life?
How would you measure count rate to work out a substance's half-life?
If the background count rate is 100, and the initial count rate is 2000, what is true?