Half Life
What is Half Life?
Half-life (t₁/₂) is the time required for half of a given quantity of a substance to undergo a specific process, most commonly radioactive decay or a first-order chemical reaction. For radioactive isotopes, the half-life is a characteristic constant independent of the initial amount or external conditions such as temperature and pressure. Half-life values range from fractions of a second for highly unstable nuclei to billions of years for stable isotopes, and are widely used in radiometric dating.
Key Facts
Frequently Asked Questions
Half-life (t₁/₂) is the time required for half of a given quantity of a substance to undergo a specific process, most commonly radioactive decay or a first-order chemical reaction. For radioactive isotopes, the half-life is a characteristic constant independent of the initial amount or external conditions such as temperature and pressure. Half-life values range from fractions of a second for highly unstable nuclei to billions of years for stable isotopes, and are widely used in radiometric dating.