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A level Maths - Exponentials help

If a radioactive substance was decaying with the equation M = kb^-t
M is the mass of the substance and time is in hours.

How would I have to change my working to incorporate the fact that t is negative because I worked it out like I normally would and got it wrong and I assume it's to do with that?
(edited 2 years ago)
Reply 1
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This is what I did and it’s wrong. Anyone know where I went wrong?
First i thimk you need to work out the gradient using a wider range of values maybe even plotting an actual graph. and then because t is negative perhaps you need to keep logb as positive so logb is 8/25 (or another more accurate value) and use that.
Reply 3
Original post by Sannah21
First i thimk you need to work out the gradient using a wider range of values maybe even plotting an actual graph. and then because t is negative perhaps you need to keep logb as positive so logb is 8/25 (or another more accurate value) and use that.

I did that and got my gradient as 0.3025 but I am still completely off the right answer which is M= 510 x 2^-t
Original post by epic08
I did that and got my gradient as 0.3025 but I am still completely off the right answer which is M= 510 x 2^-t

If your gradient is 0.3025 b=10^0.3025=2 so that bit does work
Also I think where it has k = 510 that is a rounding of the orgiginal value of M when t=0 which is 508.
Reply 6
Original post by Sannah21
Also I think where it has k = 510 that is a rounding of the orgiginal value of M when t=0 which ioO

Ok thanks for your help i think I get it now :smile:
(edited 2 years ago)

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