October 1, 2014 (Vol. 34, No. 17)
Rating:
Strong Points: Easy to use, list of radioisotopes and half-lives
Weak Points: The “info” button displays advertisements, not actual help
Platform:
iPad/iPhone
Cost:
Free
Summary:
Do you often work with radiation in the lab? The PerkinElmer Radioactive Decay Calculator app can make your life easier! Elegantly designed, this simple and straightforward app allows users to easily calculate what the radiochemical concentration, molarity, and specific activity of that radioisotope that they just ordered will be on the day when they actually plan to do their experiment. Users simply need only select their radioisotope, specify a calibration date, supply the information for the radioisotope (such as concentration) on that date, and specify the date of use. Units can be entered and displayed as curies or becquerels. In addition to the calculator, the app provides a list of commonly used radioisotopes and their half-lives. Pop-up tutorials are displayed the first time the app is opened, although the app is very self-explanatory even without these hints.
