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A radioactive substance has a half-life of 1.0 minute. If one nucleus disintegrates at this instant, when will the next nucleus disintegrate?
- After 1 minute
- After 1/ln 2 minute
- After 1/N minute, where N is the number of nuclei present at that instant
- At any time
Correct answer: At any time
Solution
Radioactive decay is a random process, meaning that the disintegration of one nucleus does not influence when another nucleus will decay. Therefore, the next nucleus can disintegrate at any time, independent of the previous decay.
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