Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
half-life
Noun
/ˈhæfˌlaɪf/
Definition
The time required for a quantity to reduce to half its initial value.
Examples
- The half-life of carbon-14 is about 5,730 years.
- Monitoring the half-life of medications helps doctors determine dosing intervals.
- Understanding the half-life of a radioactive material is crucial for safety protocols.
Meaning
Half-life is commonly used in physics, chemistry, and pharmacology to quantify the time it takes for a substance to decrease by half, usually in the context of radioactive decay or the elimination of a drug from the body.
Synonyms
- Decay time
- Duration
- Elimination half-time
