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The probability of a radioactive atoms t...

The probability of a radioactive atoms to survive 5 times longer than its half-value period is-

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To solve the problem of finding the probability of a radioactive atom surviving five times longer than its half-life, we can follow these steps: ### Step-by-Step Solution: 1. **Understand the Half-Life Concept**: The half-life (T₁/₂) of a radioactive substance is the time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay. 2. **Define the Time in the Problem**: We need to find the probability of an atom surviving for a time \( t \) that is five times the half-life. Thus, we can express this as: \[ t = 5 \times T_{1/2} \] 3. **Use the Decay Formula**: The number of radioactive atoms remaining after time \( t \) is given by the formula: \[ N(t) = N_0 e^{-\lambda t} \] where \( N_0 \) is the initial number of atoms, \( \lambda \) is the decay constant, and \( t \) is the time elapsed. 4. **Express the Probability**: The probability \( P \) that an atom survives after time \( t \) is given by the ratio of the remaining atoms to the initial number of atoms: \[ P = \frac{N(t)}{N_0} = e^{-\lambda t} \] 5. **Substituting for \( t \)**: Substitute \( t = 5 \times T_{1/2} \) into the probability expression: \[ P = e^{-\lambda (5 \times T_{1/2})} \] 6. **Relate Half-Life to Decay Constant**: The decay constant \( \lambda \) is related to the half-life by the equation: \[ T_{1/2} = \frac{\ln(2)}{\lambda} \quad \Rightarrow \quad \lambda = \frac{\ln(2)}{T_{1/2}} \] 7. **Substituting \( \lambda \)**: Now substitute \( \lambda \) back into the probability equation: \[ P = e^{-5 \times \left(\frac{\ln(2)}{T_{1/2}}\right) \times T_{1/2}} = e^{-5 \ln(2)} \] 8. **Simplifying the Expression**: Using the property of exponents: \[ P = e^{\ln(2^{-5})} = 2^{-5} \] 9. **Final Probability**: Therefore, the probability that a radioactive atom survives five times longer than its half-life is: \[ P = \frac{1}{32} \] ### Final Answer: The probability of a radioactive atom surviving five times longer than its half-life is \( \frac{1}{32} \).
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