Chapter 4, Problem 4P

Radioactive decay can be modeled by the equation

$A=A_0{e}^{-kt}$

where A is the amount at time t, A₀is the amount a time t =0, and k is a constant. Write a MATLAB program that calculates the amount of a radio-active material. When executed, the program asks the user to enter the half- life of the material (in years), the current amount of the material (in lb), and the number of years t from now for which the amount should be calculated. From this information the program first calculates the constant k and then the amount at t years. For Output the program displays the message: The amount of the material after XX years is XX kg” where XX are the corresponding numerical values. Use the program to determine how much plutonium-239 (half-life 24.110 years) will be left from 50 lb after 500 years.