Use a radioactive half-life model
The idea
A half-life is the time for the expected number of undecayed parent nuclei in a large sample to halve.
Step by step
- A half-life is the time for the expected number of undecayed parent nuclei in a large sample to halve.
- After n half-lives the expected remaining parent amount is initial amount × ()n.
- This model concerns undecayed parent material; it does not mean all sample matter disappears.
Example
What expected fraction of parent nuclei remains after one half-life in a large sample?
Answer
The parent population halves once.
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Use counters to make a deterministic model that halves a large starting number repeatedly. State that real decay is probabilistic.
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