Simple Description

The time it takes for half of the isotopes in a sample to decay or for the radioactivity of a sample to halve.

Further Detail

Half life can be easily determined using a graph of radioactivity against time. The steps are: 1) Find out what the original activity or count was, 2) Read down the graph to half of this value, 3) Read across and down on the time axis.

Related Words:

• Count rate
• Ionising radiation
• Geiger counter

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