document.write( "Question 812540: The half life of radioactive element plutonium-239 is 20 years.
\n" ); document.write( "How long will it take for a sample of this substance to decay to 60% of its original amount?
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Algebra.Com's Answer #489283 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)\"\" \"About 
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The half life of radioactive element plutonium-239 is 20 years.
\n" ); document.write( "How long will it take for a sample of this substance to decay to 60% of its original amount?
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "The radioactive decay formula: A = Ao*2^(-t/h), where:
\n" ); document.write( "A = resulting amt after t time
\n" ); document.write( "Ao = initial amt (t=0)
\n" ); document.write( "t = time of decay
\n" ); document.write( "h = half-life of substance
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\n" ); document.write( "Let initial amt = 1
\n" ); document.write( "2^(-t/20) = .6
\n" ); document.write( "\"-t%2F20\" = \"log%28.6%29%2Flog%282%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "t = -.7369656 * -20
\n" ); document.write( "t = 14.74 yrs
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