In 1992, Swiss police arrested two men who were attempting...

In $1992,$ Swiss police arrested two men who were attempting to smuggle osmium out of Eastern Europe for a clandestine sale. However, by error, the smugglers had picked up $^{137} \mathrm{Cs}$. Reportedly, each smuggler was carrying a 1.0 g sample of $^{137} \mathrm{Cs}$ in a pocket! In (a) bequerels and (b) curies, what was the activity of each sample? The isotope $^{137} \mathrm{Cs}$ has a half-life of 30.2 $\mathrm{y}$ . (The activitics of radio- isotopes commonly used in hospitals range up to a few millicuries.)

In $1992,$ Swiss police arrested two men who were attempting to smuggle osmium out of Eastern Europe for a clandestine sale.
However, by error, the smugglers had picked up $^{137} \mathrm{Cs}$. Reportedly,
each smuggler was carrying a 1.0 g sample of $^{137} \mathrm{Cs}$ in a pocket! In
(a) bequerels and (b) curies, what was the activity of each sample?
The isotope $^{137} \mathrm{Cs}$ has a half-life of 30.2 $\mathrm{y}$ . (The activitics of radio-
isotopes commonly used in hospitals range up to a few millicuries.)

Key Concepts

Units of Radioactivity

Units such as the becquerel (Bq) and the curie (Ci) are used to quantify radioactivity. One becquerel equals one decay per second, while one curie is defined as 3.7 × 10^10 disintegrations per second. Understanding these units and converting between them is crucial when quantifying the strength of radioactive sources.

Activity

Activity represents the number of disintegrations occurring in a radioactive sample per unit time. It is a key measure in radioactivity and is expressed in units such as becquerels, which are defined as disintegrations per second.

Radioactive Decay

This concept describes the process by which unstable atomic nuclei lose energy by emitting radiation. The decay process is random for individual atoms but follows a statistical exponential law, meaning that the probability of decay is constant over time.

Half-Life

The half-life is the time required for half of the radioactive nuclei in a given sample to decay. It is a characteristic property of each radioactive isotope and allows the calculation of decay rates and remaining activity over time.

Decay Constant

The decay constant is a parameter that quantifies the probability per unit time for a nucleus to decay. It is mathematically related to the half-life by the relation ? = ln(2)/half-life, and it is essential for determining the rate of decay in a material.

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