Half-Life Example: Half-Life of 10, Elapsed Time 30
With a half-life of 10 units and elapsed time of 30 units (3 half-lives), 12.5% of the initial amount remains.
How to use this tool
- Enter initial amount, half-life (time units) and elapsed time (same units) in the fields above.
- Results update instantly as you type — or click Calculate.
- Read your remaining amount and the full breakdown beneath it.
After three half-lives, any substance retains exactly 12.5% of its starting amount — verify it here.
Frequently asked questions
- What substances have known half-lives?
- Carbon-14 has a half-life of about 5,730 years (used in carbon dating). Uranium-238 has ~4.5 billion years. Iodine-131 used in medicine has ~8 days.
- Can I use this for non-radioactive decay?
- Yes — any process that halves on a fixed schedule (drug concentration, population loss, etc.) can be modelled this way.