1. You are the senior safety officer at a facility, and there has been an accide

Question

1. You are the senior safety officer at a facility, and there has been an accident with a radioactive isotope (^32 P). In total, 1000 mCu have been spilled in the lab. If your safety equipment is rated for 50 mCu of radioactivity, and the half-life of ^32P is 14 days, approximately how long would the laboratory have to be sealed before it was safe for you to enter and finish the cleanup

a. 12 weeks

b. 9 years

c. 14 days

d.9 weeks

e. 9 months

2. Burning radioactive waste makes it safe for disposal (not radioactive anymore).

Select one:

True

False

Explanation / Answer

t1/2 = 0.693 / deacy constant

Decay constant = 0.693 / t1/2

Decay constant = 0.693 / 14 days = 0.0495 day ^-1 = 0.0495 / (24 *60*60) sec^-1

Decay constant = 5.729 * 10^-7 sec^-1

Decay constant = 2.303/t log (initial / final )

5.729 * 10^-7 = 2.303 / t log (1000/50)

t = 5.23 * 10^6 sec

t = 5.23 * 10^6 / (60*60*24*7) weeks

t = 8.6474 weeks

True Because all the substance may expells to another stable forms.

1 curie = 3.7 * 10^7 decay per second

1000 -

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