Answer:
Explanation:
To calculate the remaining mass of tritium after 49.2 years, you can follow these steps:
1. Determine the number of half-lives that have passed:
- Divide the total time (49.2 years) by the half-life of tritium (12.3 years):
49.2 years ÷ 12.3 years = 4 half-lives
2. Calculate the remaining mass after 4 half-lives:
- Since each half-life halves the amount of tritium, after 4 half-lives, the remaining mass can be calculated by:
Remaining mass = Initial mass × (1/2)^number of half-lives
Remaining mass = 48 mg × (1/2)^4
Remaining mass = 48 mg × (1/16)
Remaining mass = 3 mg
Therefore, after 49.2 years, only 3 mg of the sample will remain from the initial 48 mg of tritium released from the nuclear power plant.
