A sample of a radioactive isotope emits 12 80012\,80012800 β\betaβ-particles per second. After 15 hours the rate of emission has fallen to 400 β\betaβ-particles per second. What is the half-life of this isotope?
3.0 hours3.0\text{ hours}3.0 hours
5.0 hours5.0\text{ hours}5.0 hours
7.5 hours7.5\text{ hours}7.5 hours
15 hours15\text{ hours}15 hours
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.