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Iridium-192 is one radioisotope used in brachytherapy, in which a radioactive so

ID: 1073293 • Letter: I

Question

Iridium-192 is one radioisotope used in brachytherapy, in which a radioactive source is placed inside a patient's body to treat cancer. Brachytherapy allows the use of a higher than normal dose to be placed near the tumor while lowering the risk of damage to healthy tissue. Iridium-192 is often used in the head or breast. Answer the following three questions (a, b, and c) based on the radioactive decay curve of iridium-192, shown below. Click on the graph and move the mouse over a point to get values for that point.

A) a) If the initial sample is 7.50 g, what mass of the original iridium-192 remains after 105 days?

B? b) Estimate the half-life of the radioisotope.

C) c) How many days would it take for three-fourths of the sample to decay?

Explanation / Answer

a)

A0 = 7.5 g

HL = 73.83 days

t = 105 days

then

Apply half life equation

A = A0*(1/2)^(t/HL)

A = 7.5*(1/2)^(105/73.83)

A = 2.79859 g left

b)

HL = 73.83 days

c)

days required for 3/4 to decay

so

Afinal = 3/4*A0

so

Af = A0*(1/2)^(t/HL)

3/4*A0 = A0*(1/2)^(t/73.83)

0.74 = (1/2)^(t/73.83)

ln(0.75)/ln(0.5) = t/73.83

t = 73.83*0.41503

t = 30.64 days

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