Free Half-Life Calculator

Calculate half-life from initial amount, remaining amount, and elapsed time.

years

Half-Life

5,730.00 years

Decay Constant0.00012097 1/year

Half-Life vs Time Elapsed

Half-Life Determination

The half-life can be computed from measured decay data.

Formula

t_half = -t * ln(2) / ln(N/N_0)

The decay constant is lambda = ln(2) / t_half. This connects the exponential decay rate to the half-life.

Example Calculation

A sample starts at 100 units and has 25 remaining after 11,460 years.

  1. 01t_half = -t * ln(2) / ln(N/N0)
  2. 02t_half = -11460 * 0.6931 / ln(25/100)
  3. 03t_half = -11460 * 0.6931 / (-1.3863)
  4. 04t_half = 7940 / 1.3863
  5. 05t_half = 5730 years (Carbon-14)

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn More

Understanding Newton's Laws of Motion

A comprehensive guide to Newton's three laws of motion. Learn about inertia, force and acceleration, action-reaction pairs, and how these principles govern everyday physics.

Related Calculators