JEE AdvancedPhysicsAtoms and NucleiMCQ+3 / −1
A heavy nucleus Q of half-life 20 minutes undergoes alpha-decay with probability of 60% and beta-decay with probability of 40%. Initially, the number of Q nuclei is 1000. The number of alpha-decays of Q in the first one hour is
- A50
- B75
- C350
- D525
View written solutionFree
Correct answer: D
-
Let the initial number of nuclei be and the half-life of nucleus be
-
In one hour, so this is equal to 3 half-lives.
-
After 3 half-lives, the number of undecayed nuclei is
-
Hence, the total number of nuclei that decay in the first hour is
-
Out of all decays, the probability of alpha-decay is . Therefore, the expected number of alpha-decays is
-
So the number of alpha-decays of in the first one hour is
-
Checking options:
- A: 50 ❌
- B: 75 ❌
- C: 350 ❌
- D: 525 ✅
Therefore, the correct option is D.
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