In a radioactive decay process,the activity is defined as $A = -\frac{dN}{dt}$,where $N(t)$ is the number of radioactive nuclei at time $t$. Two radioactive sources,$S_1$ and $S_2$,have the same activity at time $t = 0$. At a later time,the activities of $S_1$ and $S_2$ are $A_1$ and $A_2$,respectively. When $S_1$ and $S_2$ have just completed their $3^{\text{rd}}$ and $7^{\text{th}}$ half-lives,respectively,the ratio $A_1/A_2$ is:

If the measurement errors in all the independent quantities are known,then it is possible to determine the error in any dependent quantity. This is done by the use of series expansion and truncating the expansion at the first power of the error. For example,consider the relation $z = x / y$. If the errors in $x, y$ and $z$ are $\Delta x, \Delta y$ and $\Delta z$,respectively,then $z \pm \Delta z = \frac{x \pm \Delta x}{y \pm \Delta y} = \frac{x}{y} (1 \pm \frac{\Delta x}{x}) (1 \pm \frac{\Delta y}{y})^{-1}$. The series expansion for $(1 \pm \frac{\Delta y}{y})^{-1}$,to first power in $\Delta y / y$,is $1 \mp (\Delta y / y)$. The relative errors in independent variables are always added. So the error in $z$ will be $\Delta z = z (\frac{\Delta x}{x} + \frac{\Delta y}{y})$. The above derivation makes the assumption that $\Delta x / x \ll 1, \Delta y / y \ll 1$. Therefore,the higher powers of these quantities are neglected.
$(1)$ Consider the ratio $r = \frac{(1 - a)}{(1 + a)}$ to be determined by measuring a dimensionless quantity $a$. If the error in the measurement of $a$ is $\Delta a$ $(\Delta a / a \ll 1)$,then what is the error $\Delta r$?
$(2)$ In an experiment,the initial number of radioactive nuclei is $3000$. It is found that $1000 \pm 40$ nuclei decayed in the first $1.0 \ s$. For $|x| < 1$,$\ln(1 + x) = x$ up to first power in $x$. The error $\Delta \lambda$,in the determination of the decay constant $\lambda$,in $s^{-1}$,is:

The mean life of a radioactive material for alpha decay and beta decay are,respectively,$1620$ years and $520$ years. What is the half life of the sample (in years)?

If $3/4$ of a radioactive sample decays in $3/4 \, s$,then the half-life of the sample is ........ .

At time $t = 0$,$N_1$ nuclei of decay constant $\lambda_1$ and $N_2$ nuclei of decay constant $\lambda_2$ are mixed. The decay rate of the mixture is:

The graph represents the decay of a newly prepared sample of radioactive nuclide $X$ to a stable nuclide $Y$. The half-life of $X$ is $t$. The growth curve for $Y$ intersects the decay curve for $X$ after time $T$. What is the time $T$?