Half-Life of Silver ( NO LONGER AVAILABLE)



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 Code Number :   7D10.33  

Disclaimer:

Reprinted by permission of Dick Berg, University of Maryland, for use on this website.

The demonstrations contained and referenced herein are listed for the purposes of cataloging and describing physics demonstrations which should be conducted only under the direction of a trained instructional support professional or physicist. These demonstrations are not presented for the purpose of being conducted by persons unconnected to this Facility and/or persons not consulting with or being supervised by the recognized instructional support professional or physicist and his/her staff. The University is responsible only for those demonstrations carried out using its own equipment using established safety and scheduling policies, and bears no responsibility for those choosing to use this source material for their own purposes. All demonstrations described and contained herein are public domain, and can also be found in reference materials in libraries, bookstores, and electronic sources.

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Condition :   Excellent  
Principle :   Radioactive Decay, Half-Life   
Area of Study :  Modern Physics  
Equipment :   Nucleus Model 500 Scaler (2nd Floor), Geiger tube (2nd Floor), Lead bricks, Silver foil, Neutron howitzer.
Procedure :   The silver foil must be irradiated at least overnight in the neutron howitzer.  The system should be set up as in the pictures and moved into the classroom. When class has started the instructor should take at least two background radiation checks using the same timing period that will be used during sampling. It is then the job of the Lecture Demonstration Coordinator to get the sample from the neutron howitzer, run down as fast as possible and insert the sample, and begin the count. This usually takes 30 to 45 seconds. Counting is usually done for 30 seconds of each minute for 5 to 10 minutes. 

The decay should be as follows:

52% of silver is Ag107

Then the reaction for this would be:

  • 47Ag107 + 0N1 ---> 47Ag108
  • Then, 47Ag108 --> e- + 48Cd108

Ag  108  -  2.42m  1/2 life  =  B - decay -  97.5%  -  1.64 MeV, B+  -  2.2%  -  .90 MeV

48% of silver is Ag109
Then the reaction for this would be:

  • 47Ag109 + 0N1 ---> 47Ag110
  • Then, 47Ag110 --> e- + 48Cd110
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   References

Christopher G. Deacon.  "A Background to Background Radiation."  TPT,  Vol. 41, # 2, p. 78,  (Feb. 2003).

V. J. Menon and D. C. Agrawal.  "Lifetimes of Incandescent Bulbs,"  TPT,  Vol. 41, # 2, p. 100, (Feb 2003).

Editor, "Another Radioactivity Experiment Reference", TPT, Vol. 38, # 3, Mar. 2000, p. 133. 

Se-yuen Mak, "Radioactivity Experiments for Project Investigation", TPT, Vol. 37, # 9, Dec. 1999, p. 536. 

Bob Weinberg, "The Author Responds", TPT, Vol. 36, # 3, Mar. 1998, p. 132.

Thomas A. Walkiewicz, "Alpha Problems," TPT, Vol.  36, # 3, p. 131-132, (March 1998).

Roger Hanson,  "More on Alphas," TPT, Vol.  36, # 3, p. 131-132, (March 1998).

Bob Weinberg, "The Half-Lives of Silver," TPT, Vol.  35, # 8, p. 456-460, (Nov. 1997).

 

Richard E. Stevens, "Neutron Activation Analysis of a Penny", AJP, Vol. 68, # 4, p. 385, April 2000. 

A.A. Rollefson and R. M. Prior, "An Advanced Undergraduate Nuclear Lifetime Experiment", AJP, Vol. 46, (10), Oct. 1978, p. 1007.

B. A. Logan, "A Source of 4.43-MeV g rays", AJP, Vol. 46, (8), Aug. 1978, p. 866.

G. C. Chikkur and N. Umakantha, "Half-life of Thorium - 232: A Laboratory Experiment", AJP, Vol. 45, # 11, Nov. 1977, p.1120.

K. Gopal, H. Sanjeevaian, B. Sajeevaiah, "A Laboratory Experiment for Determining the Partial Half-Life of 40K for Beta Emission", AJP, Vol. 40, # 5, May 1972, p. 721.

Julius H. Taylor and Andrea P. West, "Sources for Half-Life Experiments", AJP, 33, (12), Dec. 1965, p. 1061.

 

Dick Goodspeed,  "Teaching Tip!  Whole Body Radiation,"  Equipment & Supplies Safety,  D149.

Lederer, Hollander, Perlman, "Table of Isotopes."

 


Mail Questions and Comments to:  Dale Stille