A radioactive material is undergoing simultaneous disintegration into two different products with half-lives 1400 years and 700 years respectively. Find the time taken by the sample to decay to one third of its initial value
years
years
years
years
Text Solution
Verified by ExpertsC
We know that the number of atoms left after half-lives is given by
where 
no of half lives
Now decay constant
For a material containing 2 radioactive substances effective disintegration constant 
[A and 
are the substances]
Here 
Effective or equivalent half-life of the material.
Given 
yrs
We get
.
no. of half-lives 
where 
is time required for material to become one-third.
Now, 
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