Nuclear Decay Calculator

Calculate half-life, decay constant, remaining amount, and decay rate for radioactive isotopes. Perfect for nuclear chemistry, radiometric dating, and nuclear physics calculations.

Nuclear Decay Calculator

Common isotopes:
Carbon-14 (¹⁴C)5.73e+3 years
Uranium-238 (²³⁸U)4.47e+9 years
Uranium-235 (²³⁵U)7.04e+8 years
Thorium-232 (²³²Th)1.41e+10 years
Potassium-40 (⁴⁰K)1.25e+9 years
Rubidium-87 (⁸⁷Rb)4.88e+10 years
Samarium-147 (¹⁴⁷Sm)1.06e+11 years
Rhenium-187 (¹⁸⁷Re)4.12e+10 years
Lutetium-176 (¹⁷⁶Lu)3.76e+10 years
Iodine-131 (¹³¹I)8.02e+0 years
Cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs)3.02e+1 years
Strontium-90 (⁹⁰Sr)2.88e+1 years
Cobalt-60 (⁶⁰Co)5.27e+0 years
Tritium (³H)1.23e+1 years
Radon-222 (²²²Rn)3.82e+0 years
Polonium-210 (²¹⁰Po)1.38e+2 years
Radium-226 (²²⁶Ra)1.60e+3 years
Plutonium-239 (²³⁹Pu)2.41e+4 years
Plutonium-240 (²⁴⁰Pu)6.56e+3 years
Americium-241 (²⁴¹Am)4.32e+2 years

About Nuclear Decay

Formula

N = N₀ × (1/2)^(t/t₁/₂)

Where N = remaining amount, N₀ = initial amount, t = time, t₁/₂ = half-life, λ = decay constant

Key Concepts

  • Half-Life: Time for half of radioactive atoms to decay
  • Decay Constant: Probability of decay per unit time
  • Exponential Decay: Rate proportional to current amount
  • Radioactive Dating: Using decay to determine age
  • Decay Rate: Number of decays per unit time

Decay Types by Half-Life

  • Very short-lived: < 1 second (fission products)
  • Short-lived: 1 second to 1 hour (medical isotopes)
  • Medium-lived: 1 hour to 1 day (industrial isotopes)
  • Long-lived: 1 day to 1 year (research isotopes)
  • Very long-lived: > 1 year (geological dating)

Common Applications

  • Radiometric dating (geology, archaeology)
  • Medical imaging and therapy
  • Nuclear power and waste management
  • Environmental monitoring
  • Scientific research and experiments

How to Use

  1. Select the calculation type you want to perform
  2. Enter the required values based on your calculation
  3. Choose appropriate time units
  4. Click Calculate to get the result

Important Notes

  • Half-life is independent of initial amount
  • Decay follows exponential function
  • Time units must be consistent
  • Remaining amount approaches zero but never reaches it
  • Decay constant and half-life are inversely related