Step 1 :The problem provides us with a $200 \mathrm{~g}$ sample of radioactive polonium-210 which has a half-life of 138 days. This means that every 138 days, the amount of polonium left in the sample is half of the original amount.
Step 2 :We are asked to write an equation that models the amount of Polonium. The formula for exponential decay is \(A = A0 * (1/2)^{t/h}\), where \(A\) is the final amount, \(A0\) is the initial amount, \(t\) is the time elapsed, and \(h\) is the half-life.
Step 3 :We are asked to find the mass of Polonium-210 left after 2 years. To do this, we need to convert the time from years to days. 2 years is equivalent to 730 days.
Step 4 :Substituting the given values into the formula, we have \(A0 = 200\), \(t = 730\), and \(h = 138\).
Step 5 :Calculating the final amount \(A\), we get \(A = 200 * (1/2)^{730/138} = 5.112401412165871\)
Step 6 :Rounding off to two decimal places, the mass of Polonium-210 left after 2 years is approximately \(\boxed{5.11 \text{ g}}\).
Step 7 :We are also asked to determine how long it will take for the sample to reduce to $150 \mathrm{~g}$. This requires solving the decay formula for \(t\), with \(A = 150\).