Nickel-63 Radioactive Decay Calculation

Calculating the Remaining Amount of Nickel-63 After 400 Years

Final answer: After 400 years, the remaining amount of a 10 gram sample of Nickel-63 is 0.625 grams.

Explanation: The concept of half-life in radioactive decay is crucial to understanding how the amount of a radioactive substance changes over time. In the case of Nickel-63, it has a half-life of 100 years, which means that every 100 years, the quantity of Nickel-63 is halved.

Initially, with a 10 gram sample of Nickel-63, after the first 100 years, you are left with half of the original amount, which is 5 grams. After another 100 years (200 years total), the remaining amount is halved again to 2.5 grams. This process continues, with the amount reducing by half every 100 years.

After 300 years, there would be 1.25 grams left, and finally, after 400 years, the remaining amount would be halved again, resulting in 0.625 grams remaining from the initial 10 gram sample. Therefore, the correct answer is option (d) 0.625 grams.