Excelet

Mean Lifetime for Radioactive Decay

On statistical average, how long does a radioactive atom survive?
Let's explore mean lifetime for radioactive decay.

Please note that for both tabs you can rescale the time axis
by changing the time-step at the bottom of the graph!

Click on the tabs to navigate!!!

Mean Lifetime and Half-life

rate or decay constant, k =
Activity, A
2000.0
1855.5
1721.4
1597.0
1481.6
1374.6
1275.3
1183.1
1097.6
1018.3
944.7
876.5
813.1
754.4
699.9
649.3
602.4
558.9
518.5
481.0
446.3

t-1

2000

cpt

half-life, t1/2 =

27.72

mean lifetime, =
(average lifetime)
On statistical average, how long does a radioactive atom survive?

40

half-life
0
1000
2000
27.72
1000 x )
f(x) = 2000
exp( -0.025
27.72
0

2000

mean lifetime
0
735.75888
40
735.75888
40
0

1500

1000

1000
736

500

3
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

time, t

time-step =

3.00

(allows time scale to be adjusted)

Sinex 2015

t
decay
equation
A = Aoe -kt

2500

activity, A

time, t
0.0
3.0
6.0
9.0
12.0
15.0
18.0
21.0
24.0
27.0
30.0
33.0
36.0
39.0
42.0
45.0
48.0
51.0
54.0
57.0
60.0

0.025

initial activity, Ao =

70

The task:
Vary the rate or decay contant to see how
the mean lifetime responds.

How are the decay constant, half-live,

and mean lifetime related?
answer

Finding the initial number of nuclides, No

rate or decay constant, k =
Activity, A
2500.0
2336.8
2184.3
2041.7
1908.4
1783.9
1667.4
1558.6
1456.9
1361.8
1272.9
1189.8
1112.1
1039.6
971.7
908.3
849.0
793.6
741.8
693.4
648.1

half-life, t1/2 =

t-1

2500
154

cpt
t

mean lifetime, = 222.22222 t

(average lifetime)
decay
equation
A = Aoe -kt

3000

activity, A

time, t
0.0
15.0
30.0
45.0
60.0
75.0
90.0
105.0
120.0
135.0
150.0
165.0
180.0
195.0
210.0
225.0
240.0
255.0
270.0
285.0
300.0

0.0045

initial activity, Ao =

initial rate line

2500

2500
02500
f(x)
11.25x + exp(
f(x)= =- 2500

mean lifetime box

0
2500
222.22222
2500
222.22222
0
this the dashed orange line
plus the x and y axes

2500
7.50
2415.625
222.22222
0
the is the solid green line
th diagonal in the orange box!!!

2000

1500

-0.0045 x )

1000

500

3
0

50

100

150

200

250

300

time, t

time-step =

15.00

(allows time scale to be adjusted)

Sinex 2015

350

The task of computations to find No:

Find the initial rate of decay at time, t = 0
= kAo
Find the x-intercept for the green
linear regression line
= y-intercept/(-slope) = Ao/initial rate
Find the area of the orange box, which is area under blue curve
= height * length = Ao
Since Ao = kNo, find No = Ao/k
= Ao/k = No

For more details, see:

McParland, Nuclear Medicine Radiation Dosimetry: Advanced Theoretical Principles, Springer, pp. 153-154 (2010).