In: Chemistry
the half life of protactinium-217 is 4.90x 10^-3 sec. a)what is the order of the reaction? How do you know? b) What is the rate constant for the decay?
Given half life of protactinium-217 is , t1/2 = 4.90x 10-3 sec
(a) Protactinium-217 is a radioactive nuclei.We know that all radio active nuclear reactions are of first order reaction.
So the order of the reaction is one (1)
(b) For a first order reactions, rate constant , K = 0.693 / t1/2
= 0.693 / (4.90x10-3 s)
= 141.4 s-1