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Question
Show that for radioactive decay N(t) = `"N"_"O" "e"^{-λ"t"}`, where symbols have their usual meaning.
Solution
If ‘N(t)’ is the number of parent nuclei present at any instant ‘t’, ‘dN’ is the number of nuclei disintegrated in the short interval of time ‘dt’, then,
dN ∝ −N(t) dt
dN = −λ N(t) dt
where λ is known as decay constant or disintegration constant.
The negative sign indicates the disintegration of atoms.
Integrating both sides of the equation,
`int_{"N"_0}^{"N"("t")} "dN"/("N"("t")) = int_0^"t" -lambda "dt"`
where N0 is a number of parent atoms at time t = 0.
∴ loge `("N"("t"))/"N"_0 = -lambda"t"`
∴ N(t) = N0 `"e"^{-lambda"t"}`
This is the required relation.
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