4 ms·
Sure but all that means is that 1g of radium will have the same activity as 0.2mg of polonium. Of course they will also have different decay spectra etc. We don
by cshimmin 4y ago
Sure but all that means is that 1g of radium will have the same activity as 0.2mg of polonium. Of course they will also have different decay spectra etc. We don't know how big the source was that the students lost, but I'm guessing that if they just gave up after a few days, it probably wasn't a very high activity. This means either very low mass, or a higher mass but just older so that it's decayed away.
- fnands 4y agoIt was tiny, I think something like this: https://www.flinnsci.com/alpha-source-polonium-210/ap8794/ https://www.flinnsci.com/alpha-source-polonium-210/ap8794/ They were letting undergrads handle it, so definitely wasn't a large source. Also, hey Chase! Funny to see you in the wild (Ferdi here)
- Aeolun 4y agoIt’s nice that they add just enough material for a given amount of radioactivity.