Advanced MathMediumHalf-life
Advanced Math practice question
A sample contains 80 grams of a substance that decays so that its mass halves every 5 years. How many grams remain after 15 years?
Answer: 10
15 years is three half-lives (15 / 5 = 3), so the mass halves three times: 80 → 40 → 20 → 10 grams. (As a formula: 80 · (1/2)³ = 10.)
Common wrong answers
- If you answered 5
- 5 would be four half-lives, 20 years. 15 / 5 = 3 halvings, giving 10.
- If you answered 20
- 20 is after two half-lives, 10 years. One more halving is needed for 15 years.
- If you answered 40
- 40 is after ONE half-life, 5 years. 15 years is three of them.
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