Half Life Calculator

Calculate remaining quantity, decayed amount, and percentage left based on half-life and elapsed time.

Result

Remaining Quantity
Decayed Amount
Percentage Remaining
Number of Half-Lives

What is a Half Life Calculator?

A half life calculator determines how much of a substance remains after a given time based on its half-life—the time required for half of the substance to decay. It is widely used in physics, chemistry, medicine, and archaeology.

How to Use

  1. Enter the initial quantity of the substance.
  2. Input the half-life value and select its time unit.
  3. Input the elapsed time and select its time unit.
  4. Click Calculate to see remaining quantity, decayed amount, percentage left, and number of half-lives.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is half-life?

Half-life is the time required for half of a radioactive substance to decay into a different element or isotope.

Can I use different units for half-life and elapsed time?

Yes, this calculator supports independent unit selection for half-life and elapsed time, automatically converting them.

What formula does this calculator use?

It uses the exponential decay formula: remaining = initial × (0.5)^(elapsed / halfLife).

Is this calculator free?

Yes, BestCalc calculators are completely free and run locally in your browser.