- #1
FollowTheFez
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Homework Statement
QUESTION
A cancer patient is typically given an intravenous dose of Metastron with an activity of
148 MBq.
Calculate the activity after 6 months (183 days).
PREVIOUS INFORMATION
Physical half-life of Metastron = 50.5 days
Biological half-life of Metastron = 1.8x104 days
Homework Equations
T1/2 = [itex]\frac{ln2}{λ}[/itex]
[itex]\frac{ΔN}{Δt}[/itex] = λN
N = N0e-λt
The Attempt at a Solution
The equation used to calculate the activity would be
N = N0e-λt
N0 = 148MBq
t = 183days
So I just need to find λ. - This is where I think I am going wrong.
λ = [itex]\frac{ln2}{T}[/itex]
λ = [itex]\frac{0.693}{50.5days}[/itex]
λ = 1.59x10-7
Substituting this into the first equation gets...
N = N0e-λt
N = 148 e-(1.59x10-7) x 183
N = 147.996MBq
N = 148MBq
The correct answer is (apparently) 11.95MBq.
Seeing as all values are in MBq and days, I don't think I have to convert to Bq and seconds (actually even if I do convert I still get an incorrect answer).
Therefore I think I am stuffing up at my calculation of λ. But I don't see any other way in which I can calculate it. Am I correct in thinking this is where I am going wrong?