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The animation shows the decay of a radioactive source. The count rate has been corrected for the background count and is plotted against time.



Radioactive decay law: N = Noe-lt

A graph of N against t gives an exponential decay graph, and if background radiation were ignored the line would tend towards N = 0 as time goes by.
 
 
 
© Keith Gibbs/John Bourne 2013