Question

Please help ASAP! A radioactive compound with mass 260 grams decays at a rate of 3.8% per hour.

Which equation represents how many grams of the compound will remain after 8
hours?
OC=260(1.038) ► Submit Answer
OC=260(0.962)8
OC=260(0.038)8
OC=260(1-0.38)8

Answer 1

Answer: 260(0.962)^8

Explanation:

Pretty simple. We have a base of 260, which all of the answers include. Then for a decay rate of 3.8, we reduce to percentage form ( 0.038 ) and subtract that from 1 ( or 100 in standard form ). Then we get 0.962. We choose the second option because it includes both these terms and 8 ( which I'm assuming is an exponent )

Answer 2

The correct equation that represents how many grams of the compound will remain after 8 hours is:

OC = 260(0.962)^8

Here's how we can arrive at this equation:

The decay rate of 3.8% per hour means that 100% - 3.8% = 96.2% of the compound remains after each hour. Therefore, we can use the formula for exponential decay to calculate how much of the compound remains after 8 hours:

OC = 260(0.962)^8

Simplifying the equation, we get:

OC ≈ 174.5

Therefore, after 8 hours, approximately 174.5 grams of the compound will remain.