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Rate of Radioactive Decay
21. Nuclear Chemistry / Rate of Radioactive Decay / Problem 2

The Chernobyl disaster took place on April 26, 1986, when reactor No. 4 in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded. The reactor core was exposed and burned in the air for eight days, releasing enormous amounts of radioactivity. The reactor was run on 235U and had 1.951×105 kg of fuel when it exploded and the radiation levels in the vicinity were about 20,000 R/hr (Roentgen per hour). If the radiation levels are directly proportional to the amount of 235U, what will be the radiation level in the vicinity of the reactor on April 26, 2023? The half-life of 235U is 7.038×108 y.

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