Half-life

Pronunciation: /ˈhæf- ˈɫaɪf/

Half-life (noun)

  1. The time it takes for half of a radioactive substance to break down into other materials.
  2. The time for the amount of a medicine in the body to fall to half of its original level.

Examples

  • The half-life of the sample determines how fast it decays.
  • Scientists measure half-life to estimate remaining radioactivity.