When will half of the substance be gone? Using the exponential decay formula, the video finds the half-life of radium-226. The 29th installment in a 31-part series goes on to discuss that the calculations are the same independent of the substance involved. The presentation uses the calculations to highlight the formula to find the half-life given the decay constant.

Concepts

half lives, exponential decay, exponential equations, logarithms natural

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Additional Tags

math

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Instructional Ideas

• Compare calculations to published half-lives
• Work with the science department to calculate the half-life of elements the instructors discuss in their classes 

Classroom Considerations

• Individuals should know the properties of logarithms

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Explains the concept of half-life
• Uses colors to show the quantities that cancel during the computations

Cons

• None