EXPERIMENT: Physics of the Atom

AIM: To investigate if the half-life of water dripping from a burette is constant.

THEORY: Half-life (t) is the time required for a quantity to fall to half its value as measured at
the beginning of the time period. In physics, it is typically used to describe a property
of radioactive decay, therefore radioactive half-life for a given radioisotope is a measure of the
tendency of the nucleus to decay or disintegrate and such is based purely upon that probability.
The half-life is independent of physical state (solid, liquid or gas), temperature, pressure, the
chemical compound in which the nucleus find itself and any other outside influences. It is also
independent of the chemistry of the atomic surface. The only thing that has an impact on the
half-life of an object is direct nuclear interaction with the particle from outside. Example: a high
energy collision in an accelerator. Half-life can be used for estimating the age of a dead
organism. The amount of carbon-14 in the atmosphere has not changed in thousands of years.
Even though it decays into nitrogen, new carbon-14 is always being formed when cosmic rays hit
atoms high in the atmosphere. Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and animals eat
plants. This means all living things have radioactive carbon-14 in them. When an organism, e.g.
a tree, dies it stops taking in carbon dioxide. The amount of carbon-14 in the wood decreases
with time as it decays into nitrogen with a half-life of about 5700 years. By comparing how
much carbon-14 there is in the dead organism with the amount in a living one, the age of the
dead organism can be estimated.

APPARATUS: Burette
Water
Stopwatch
Beaker

VARIABLES: Controlled: The speed at which the water flows, the amount of water used for the
two sets of readings, environmental conditions. E.g. wind,
Manipulated/; Volume of water
Responding: The time taken for every five cm3 of water to decrease.

METHOD:
1. The apparatus was set up as shown in the diagram with the burette filled above the 0cm3
mark.
2. The tap was adjusted so that it is dripping quickly.
3. When the water reached the 0cm3 mark.
4. The time t was recorded at every 5cm3 decrease in volume without stopping the
stopwatch.
5. The remaining volume of water V was recorded and the corresponding time noted on the
stopwatch until the volume remaining falls to 10cm3.
6. The method was repeated a second time without adjusting the the flow of water or the
tap.

Burette

Resort Stand

Tap (vertical: tap on)

(Horizontal: tap off)

Beaker
Water dripping into
beaker

RESULTS:
TABLE SHOWING THE FIRST READING FOR THE TOATAL TIME TAKEN FOR WATER
TO DECREASE EVERY 5 CM3 IN VOLUME
Volume/cm3

Time/sec

50.0

0.00

45.0

3.(8)

40.0

7.(8)

35.0

12.(0)

30.0

16.(3)

25.0

21.(1)

20.0

25.(8)

15.0

31.(0)

10.0

36.(8)

TABLE SHOWING THE SECOND READINGS FOR THE TOATAL TIME TAKEN FOR
WATER TO DECREASE EVERY 5 CM3 IN VOLUME
Volume/cm3

Time

50.0

0.0

45.0

3.(9)

40.0

7.(9)

35.0

12.(0)

30.0

16.(5)

25.0

21.(1)

20.0

26.(0)

15.0

31.(3)

10.0

37.(1)

CALCULATIONS:
First Graph
Half-life from 50 = 21-0
=21.0

Half-life from 40 = 25.8-7.8

=18.0

Half-life from 30 = 31.0-16.3

=14.7

Second Graph
Half-life from 50 = 21.0 - 0.0
=21.0

Half-life from 40 = 26.0 - 7.5

=18.5

Half-life from 30 = 31.3 - 16.5

=14.8

PRECAUTIONS:
1. The bottom of the meniscus war read.
2. The countdown method was used to reduce reaction time error.

3. Full attention was paid to the water levels at all time.

4. .Full understanding of how to operate the stopwatch was acquired before conducting the
experiment.
5. The water in the burette was filled above the zero mark and thr stopwatch was started as
the water flowing reached the 0 mark to obtain a more accurate starting time.
6. The experiment was carried out twice to ensure that the readings were accurate.
7. Before conducting the experiment, all apparatus was checked for systematic errors.

SOURCES OF ERRORS:
1. The burette was not 100% vertically straight which would have cause a slight inaccurate
in readings
2. Reaction time error would still be involved although the countdown method was used.
3. As the water level in the burette decreased, the speed at which the water flowed
decreased.
4. It was hard to lap the times because of the small lap button on the stop watch used on the
phone.

DISCUSSION: The results of this experiment is random meaning that it would vary every time
the experiment is conducted, therefore if another classmate is to conduct the same experiment,
they would not obtain the results as seen in the tables.. Radioactive decay, also known as nuclear
decay or radioactivity, is the process by which a nucleus of an unstable atom loses energy by
emitting particles of ionizing radiation. Radioactive decay is a random process at the level of
single atoms, in that, according to quantum theory, it is impossible to predict when a particular
atom will decay. However understand and characterize the decay of radionuclides on the basis of
statistical analysis. Only by looking at a large number of atoms of a given isotope of a given
element and counting the decay events over time can we quantify the decay rate. This is what the
term half-life is used to state, based on the statistics, when half of a given quantity of a substance
will have undergone radioactive decay. After calculating the time taken for the volume to fall to
half for several different values of volume, the result shows that the half-life was not constant.
The values were 21.0, 18.0 and 14.7 from the first graph and 21.0, 18.5 and 14.8 in the second
graph.
This experiment was an enjoyable experiment and a successful one. However, improvement
could have been made. These improvements include:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Use an easier stop watch with a bigger lap button

Use a straighter resort stand.
Take practice in carrying out the experiment before actually doing the experiment.
Ensure that the speed at which the water was flowing is easy to keep a time record

CONCLUSION: Within the limits of experimental error, the half-life dripping from a burette was
found not to be constant.