half life

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Explanation of "Half-Life"

Definition:
"Half-life" is a noun that refers to the time it takes for something to decrease to half of its original amount. This term is often used in science, especially when talking about radioactive substances, where it describes the time it takes for half of the atoms in a radioactive material to break down or disintegrate.

Example:

• "The half-life of Carbon-14 is about 5,730 years, which means that after this time, half of the original amount of Carbon-14 will have decayed."

Advanced Usage:

In more advanced discussions, "half-life" can also refer to the concept of diminishing returns in economics, social sciences, or even in technology, where the 'value' of something decreases over time.

Word Variants:

• Half-Life (noun): The time for half of something to decay or diminish.
• Half-Lives (plural noun): Referring to multiple instances of half-life.

Different Meanings:

While "half-life" primarily refers to the scientific context, it can also be metaphorically used to describe the duration of effectiveness or relevance of ideas, trends, or technologies.

Synonyms:

• Decay time
• Diminution time
• Reduction time

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "half-life," but you might encounter phrases like "running out of time," which can metaphorically relate to the concept of diminishing quantities.

Summary:

"Half-life" is a scientific term that indicates the duration it takes for something to reduce to half its initial value.

Academic

Noun

1. the time required for something to fall to half its initial value (in particular, the time for half the atoms in a radioactive substance to disintegrate)

Synonyms

• half-life