(a) Suppose that a certain country violates the ban

Chapter 5, Problem 36

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(a) Suppose that a certain country violates the ban against above-ground nuclear testing and, as a result, an island is contaminated with debris containing the radioactive substance iodine-131. A team of scientists from the United Nations wants to visit the island to look for clues in determining which country was involved. However, the level of radioactivity from the iodine-131 is estimated to be 30,000 times the safe level. Approximately how long must the team wait before it is safe to visit the island? The half-life of iodine-131 is 8 days. (b) Rework part (a), assuming instead that the radioactive substance is strontium-90 rather than iodine-131. The half-life of strontium-90 is 28 years. Assume, as before, that the initial level of radioactivity is 30,000 times the safe level. (This exercise underscores the difference between a half-life of 8 days and one of 28 years.)

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