What does a radioactive decay curve show?

decay curve A graphical representation of the exponential rate at which radioactive disintegration occurs (see RADIOACTIVE DECAY). If half the parent nuclide remains after one time increment, one-quarter will remain after the next (identical) time increment, and so on.

What does the slope of decay curve indicate?

So when we read the slope on a semilog plot, we need to remember to always take the logarithm of whatever values we read off the vertical axis. The slope of the line on the semilog plot corresponds to the same decay constant k, that we can identify in a normal exponential decay plot.

Is radioactive decay exponential or logarithmic?

Every radioactive isotope has a half-life, and the process describing the exponential decay of an isotope is called radioactive decay. We find that the half-life depends only on the constant k and not on the starting quantity A0 .

What information can be determined by a decay curve?

Overview of Decay Curve The decay curve, basically, is a way to depict the rate or specifically exponential rate at which disintegration occurs in a radioactive sample. It is usually considered as a first order reaction and hence the disintegration rate remains exponential.

How do you read a decay scheme?

It is useful to think of the decay scheme as placed in a coordinate system, where the vertical axis is energy, increasing from bottom to top, and the horizontal axis is the proton number, increasing from left to right. The arrows indicate the emitted particles.

How do you know if a graph is a logarithmic function?

The logarithmic function graph passes through the point (1, 0), which is the inverse of (0, 1) for an exponential function. The graph of a logarithmic function has a vertical asymptote at x = 0. The graph of a logarithmic function will decrease from left to right if 0 < b < 1.

Is exponential decay logarithmic?

As with exponential functions, the base is responsible for a logarithmic function’s rate of growth or decay. If 0 < b < 1 , the function decays as x increases.

Why is a half-life graph curved?

If half the parent nuclide remains after one time increment, one-quarter will remain after the next (identical) time increment, and so on. A plot of the surviving parent atoms against time in half-lives (see decay constant) gives a decay curve that approaches the zero line asymptotically.

How do you determine radioactivity?

1. Radioactive decay shows disappearance of a constant fraction of. activity per unit time.
2. Half-life: time required to decay a sample to 50% of its initial. activity: 1/2 = e –(λ*T1/2)
3. Constant in time, characteristic for each nuclide. Convenient to calculate the decay factor in multiples of T1/2:

How do you describe logarithmic graphs?

What is a log curve?

The logarithmic curve is the plot of the logarithmic function (and also that of the exponential function) or its image by a dilatation. NSC: curve with constant sub-tangent.

How do you tell if a log graph is growth or decay?

If a is positive and b is greater than 1 , then it is exponential growth. If a is positive and b is less than 1 but greater than 0 , then it is exponential decay.

How do you find the radioactive decay series?

Radioactive decay law: N = N.e-λt The rate of nuclear decay is also measured in terms of half-lives. The half-life is the amount of time it takes for a given isotope to lose half of its radioactivity. If a radioisotope has a half-life of 14 days, half of its atoms will have decayed within 14 days.