Digital Drive HQ
Math Calculators

Half-Life Calculator

Calculate remaining quantity after decay.

FreeNo sign-upWorks in your browser
Enter details
Result
Remaining quantity
78.5106
Fraction remaining
78.51%

About the Half-Life Calculator

Half-life is the time it takes for a quantity to fall to half its value — used for radioactive decay, drug metabolism, and more. Enter the initial quantity, the half-life, and the elapsed time (in the same units) and the calculator returns the amount remaining and the fraction left. It applies exponential decay: remaining = initial × 0.5^(time ÷ half-life).

How to use the Half-Life Calculator

  1. 1Enter your initial quantity, half-life, and elapsed time.
  2. 2Read the result instantly — it recalculates as you type.
  3. 3Adjust the numbers to model different scenarios.

Frequently asked questions

What is half-life?

The time for a quantity to decay to half its starting amount. After one half-life, 50% remains; after two, 25%, and so on.

How is remaining amount calculated?

Remaining = initial × (1/2)^(elapsed time ÷ half-life). Time and half-life must use the same units.

Related tools