Half-Life Calculator — N = N₀(½)^(t/h)
Each half-life halves the remaining nuclei. After n half-lives, (½)ⁿ remains — 10 half-lives leave less than a thousandth.
Half-Life Calculator — N = N₀(½)^(t/h)
How to interpret the result
Carbon-14 (half-life 5,730 years) with 1/8 remaining is 17,190 years old — three half-lives. This is the basis of radiocarbon dating.
Assumptions
- Single isotope decaying (no parent replenishment)
- Remaining and initial use the same unit