Radioactive Halflives
Data Analysis
- Show a plot of the detector counts as a function of the applied high voltage. Include the uncertainty in your measurements. Indicate at what voltage the GM tube should operate.
- Show a plot of your isotope decay data (accounting for the resolving time) (don’t include the uncertainty in this plot; it makes the plot very hard to look at). If you take the natural logarithm of your data and there is only one decaying isotope, the slope of the line should be proportional to the halflife of the radioactive isotope you had under the detector. HINT: you likely have at least two isotopes in your sample.
- Fit the data near the end of the activity measurement and state the measured halflife (and its uncertainty) of the longest-living isotope.
- Fit the data near the beginning of the activity measurement and state the measured halflife (and its uncertainty) of the shortest-living isotope.