At some instant two radioactive substance are having amount in ratio o...
Answer:
Initial Quantities:
Let's assume that the initial quantities of the two radioactive substances are 2x and x units respectively, where x is a constant.
Therefore, their initial ratio is 2:1.
Half Lives:
The half-life of a radioactive substance is the time taken for half of it to decay.
Given, the half-lives of the first and second substances are 12 hours and 16 hours respectively.
This means that after 12 hours, the quantity of the first substance will reduce to x units, and after 16 hours, the quantity of the second substance will reduce to x/2 units.
Quantities After Two Days:
Two days = 48 hours
Let's calculate the quantities of the two substances after 48 hours:
- The first substance will have gone through 4 half-lives (12 x 4 = 48). Therefore, its quantity will become (1/2)^4 times its initial quantity of 2x = 2x/16.
- The second substance will have gone through 3 half-lives (16 x 3 = 48). Therefore, its quantity will become (1/2)^3 times its initial quantity of x = x/8.
Ratio of Quantities:
The ratio of the quantities of the two substances after 48 hours is:
(2x/16)/(x/8) = 1/2
Therefore, the ratio of the quantities of the two substances after 48 hours is 1:2.