지수적 증가와 감소

We know that the amount of Polonium-210 in a sample after $t$ days is given by

$$\begin{aligned} Q(t)&=Ce^{-kt} \\ \text{where $C$ is the original amount of the sample, and $k$ is some positive constant.} \\ \\ \text{The question asks us what percentage of the sample decays in a day. Since $t$ is measured in days, the amount that decays in a day is $Q(t)-Q(t+1)$. The percentage of $Q(t)$ that this represents is $100\dfrac{Q(t)-Q(t+1)}{Q(t)}$. (For example, if there were two grams at time $t$, and one gram at time $t+1$, then $100\dfrac{2-1}{1}=50$: 50\% of the sample decayed in a day.)} \\ \\ \text{In order to simplify, we should figure out a better expression for $Q(t)$. As usual, we make use of the half-life.} \\ Q(138)&=\frac{C}{2}\\ Ce^{-k\cdot138}&=\frac{C}{2}\\ \left(e^{-k}\right)^{138}&=\frac{1}{2}=2^{-1}\\ e^{-k}&=2^{-\tfrac{1}{138}} \\ \text{Now, we have a better formula for $Q(t)$:} \\ Q(t)&=C\left(e^{-k}\right)^t\\ Q(t)&=C\cdot2^{-\tfrac{t}{138}} \\ \text{Finally, we can evaluate what percentage of the sample decays in a day.} \\ 100\frac{Q(t)-Q(t+1)}{Q(t)}&=100\frac{C\cdot2^{-\tfrac{t}{138}}-C\cdot2^{-\tfrac{t+1}{138}}}{C\cdot2^{-\tfrac{t}{138}}}\left(\frac{\frac{1}{C}}{\frac{1}{C}}\right)\\ &=100\frac{2^{-\tfrac{t}{138}}-2^{-\tfrac{t+1}{138}}}{2^{-\tfrac{t}{138}}}\\ &=100\left(2^{-\tfrac{t}{138}}-2^{-\tfrac{t+1}{138}}\right)2^{\tfrac{t}{138}}\\ &=100\left(1-2^{-\tfrac{1}{138}}\right)\approx 0.5 \end{aligned}$$

About 0.5% of the sample decays in a day.

Remark: when we say that half a percent of the sample decays in a day, we don't mean half a percent of the original sample. If a day starts out with, say, 1 microgram, then what decays in the next 24 hours is about half a percent of that 1 microgram, regardless of what the “original" sample (at some time $t=0$) held.

In particular, since the sample is getting smaller and smaller, that half of a percent that decays every day represents fewer and fewer actual atoms decaying. That's why we can't say that half of the sample (50%) will decay after about 100 days, even though 0.5% decays every day and $100\times 0.5 = 50$.

The amount of Uranium-232 in the sample of ore at time $t$ will be

$$\begin{aligned} Q(t)&=Q(0)e^{-kt} \\ \text{where $6.9 \leq Q(0) \leq 7.5$. We don't exactly know $Q(0)$, and we don't exactly know the half-life, so we also won't exactly know $Q(10)$: we can only say that is it between two numbers. Our strategy is to find the highest and lowest possible values of $Q(10)$, given the information in the problem.} \\ \\ \text{In order for the most possible Uranium-232 to be in the sample after 10 years, we should start with the most and have the longest half-life (since this represents the slowest decay). So, we take $Q(0)=7.5$ and $Q(70)=\frac{1}{2}(7.5)$.} \\ Q(t)&=7.5e^{-kt}\\ \frac{1}{2}(7.5)=Q(70)&=7.5e^{-k(70)}\\ \frac{1}{2}&=\left(e^{-k}\right)^{70}\\ 2^{-\tfrac{1}{70}}&=e^{-k} \\ \text{So, in this secenario,} \\ Q(t)&=7.5\cdot 2^{-\tfrac{t}{70}} \\ \text{After ten years,} \\ Q(10)&=7.5\cdot 2^{-\tfrac{10}{70}}\approx 6.79 \\ \text{So after ten years, the sample contains \textit{at most} 6.8 $\mu$g.} \\ \\ \text{Now, let's think about the least possible amount of Uranium-232 that could be left after 10 years. We should start with as little as possible, so take $Q(0)=6.9$, and the sample should decay quickly, so take the half-life to be 68.8 years.} \\ Q(t)&=6.9e^{-kt}\\ \frac{1}{2}6.9=Q(68.8)&=6.9e^{-k(68.8)}\\ \frac{1}{2}&=\left(e^{-k}\right)^{68.8}\\ 2^{-\tfrac{1}{68.8}}&=e^{-k} \\ \text{In this scenario,} \\ Q(t)&=6.9\cdot 2^{-\tfrac{t}{68.8}} \\ \text{After ten years,} \\ Q(10)&=6.9\cdot 2^{-\tfrac{10}{68.8}}\approx 6.24 \\ \text{So after ten years, the sample contains \textit{at least} 6.2 $\mu$g.} \\ \end{aligned}$$

After ten years, the sample contains between 6.2 and 6.8 $\mu$g of Uranium-232.

• First scenario: At time $0$, Newton mixes 9 parts coffee at temperature $95^\circ$ C with 1 part cream at temperature $5^\circ$ C. The resulting mixture has temperature $$\frac{9\times 95+1\times 5}{9+1}=86^\circ$$ The mixture cools according to Newton's Law of Cooling, with initial temperature 86$^\circ$ and ambient temperature 22$^\circ$:

$$\begin{aligned} T(t)&=[86-22]e^{-kt}+22\\ T(t)&=64e^{-kt}+22 \\ \text{After 10 minutes,} \\ 54=T(10)&=22+64e^{-10 k}\\ e^{-10 k}&=\frac{54-22}{64}=\frac{1}{2} \end{aligned}$$

We could compute $k$ from this, but we don't need it.

• Second scenario: At time $0$, Newton gets hot coffee at temperature $95^\circ$ C. It cools according to Newton's Law of Cooling

$$\begin{aligned} T(t)=[T(0)-22]e^{-kt}+22 \end{aligned}$$

In this second scenario, $T(0)=95$, so $$T(t)=[95-22]e^{-kt}+22=73e^{-kt}+22$$ The value of $k$ is the same as in the first scenario, so after 10 minutes $$T(10)=22+73e^{-10k}=22+73\frac{1}{2}=58.5$$ This cooled coffee is mixed with cold cream to yield a mixture of temperature $$\frac{9\times 58.5+1\times 5}{9+1}=53.15$$

Under the second (add cream just before drinking) scenario, the coffee ends up cooler by $0.85^\circ$ C$\,$.

(a) By Newton's law of cooling, the rate of change of temperature is proportional to the difference between $T(t)$ and the ambient temperature, which in this case is $30^\circ$. Thus $$\frac{\mathrm{d}T}{\mathrm{d}t}=k[T(t)-30]$$ for some constant of proportionality $k$. To answer part (a), all we have to do is find $k$.

Under Newton's Law of Cooling, the temperature at time $t$ will be given by

$$\begin{aligned} T(t)&=[T(0)-A]e^{kt}+A\\ &=[5-30]e^{kt}+30\\ &=-25e^{kt}+30 \\ \text{We are told $T(5)=10$:} \\ 10&=-25e^{5k}+30\\ 25e^{5k}&=20\\ e^{5k}&=\frac{4}{5}\\ 5k&=\log(4/5)\\ k&=\tfrac{1}{5}\log(4/5) \\ \text{So, the differential equation is} \\ \frac{\mathrm{d}T}{\mathrm{d}t}(t)&=\frac{1}{5}\log(4/5)[T(t)-30] \end{aligned}$$ (b) Since $T(t)=30-25e^{kt}$, the temperature of the tea is $20^\circ$ when

$$\begin{aligned} 30-25 e^{kt}&=20\\ e^{kt}&=\frac{10}{25}\\ kt&=\log\left(\frac{10}{25}\right)\\ t&=\frac{1}{k}\log\frac{2}{5}\\ &=\frac{5\log(2/5)}{\log(4/5)}\\ &\approx{20.53 ~\mathrm{ min}} \end{aligned}$$