Which statement explains the meaning of the half-life of a radioactive source?
half the time taken for the activity of the source to decrease by half
half the time taken for the activity of the source to decrease to zero
the time taken for the activity of the source to decrease by half
the time taken for the activity of the source to decrease to zero
484 exam-style questions on CIE IGCSE Physics 5.2 Radioactivity, covering 5.2.1 Background radiation and measuring count rate, 5.2.2a Alpha, beta and gamma emission, 5.2.2b Deflection and ionising effects of nuclear radiation, 5.2.3a Radioactive decay, 5.2.3b Effects of decay on the nucleus and decay equations, 5.2.4a Half-life, 5.2.4b Choosing isotopes for applications, and 5.2.5 Effects of ionising radiation and safety precautions. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.