Question

After one half life 20g of a parent isotope remain how many grams were in the orginal sample​

Answer 1

To determine the grams of the parent isotope in the original sample, we can use the formula and solve for the initial amount.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine how many grams of the parent isotope were in the original sample, we need to understand that the quantity of the parent isotope decreases by half after each half-life. In this case, after one half-life, 20g of the parent isotope remains.

We can use the formula:

Remaining amount = Initial amount * (1/2)^(number of half-lives)

Substituting the values, we have:

20g = Initial amount * (1/2)^1

Simplifying, we find that the initial amount is:

Initial amount = 20g * 2 = 40g

Therefore, there were 40 grams of the parent isotope in the original sample.