Finite Math and Applied Calculus (6th Edition)

Published by Brooks Cole
ISBN 10: 1133607705
ISBN 13: 978-1-13360-770-0

Chapter 9 - Section 9.3 - Logarithmic Functions and Models - Exercises - Page 657: 39

Answer

about $63,000$ years

Work Step by Step

When $ 99.95\%$ of $A$ has decayed, the amount that remains is $0.0005A$. We want the $t$ for which $0.0005A=A(0.999879)^{t}$ $0.0005=(0.999879)^{t}$ $\log 0.0005=t\cdot\log 0.999879$ $ t=\displaystyle \frac{\log 0.0005}{\log 0.999879}\approx\ 62813.575$ or, about $63,000$ years
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