# A Human Body Excretes (Removes by Waste Discharge, Sweating, Etc.) Certain Materials by a Law Similar to Radioactivity. If Technetium is Injected in Some Form in a Human Body - Physics

Sum

A human body excretes (removes by waste discharge, sweating, etc.) certain materials by a law similar to radioactivity. If technetium is injected in some form in a human body, the body excretes half the amount in 24 hours. A patient is given an injection containing 99Tc. This isotope is radioactive with a half-life of 6 hours. The activity from the body just after the injection is 6 μCi. How much time will elapse before the activity falls to 3 μCi?

#### Solution

Given :

Time taken by the body to excrete half the amount, t1 = 24 hours
Half-life of radioactive isotope, t2 = 6 hours
Initial activity, A0 = 6 μCi
Let after time t, activity of the sample be A.

Half-life period (T_"1/2") is given by

T_"1/2" = (t_1t_2)/(t_1 + t_2) = (24 xx 6)/(24 + 6)

= (24 xx 6)/30 = 4.8 h

Activity (A) at time t is given by

therefore A = A_0/2^(t/T_"1/2"

⇒ 3"μCi" = (6"μCi")/2^(t/4.8)

⇒ (6"μCi")/2^(t/4.8) = 3

⇒ t = 4.8 h

Is there an error in this question or solution?

#### APPEARS IN

HC Verma Class 11, Class 12 Concepts of Physics Vol. 2
Chapter 24 The Nucleus
Q 44 | Page 444