Nuclear decay — UPSC Physics Optional IFoS 2024 Paper II

A radionuclide (N_1) decays to a radioactive daughter (N_2) that subsequently decays to a third daughter (N_3). If at t = 0, the initial concentrations of N_1, N_2 and N_3 are N_1^0, 0 and 0 respectively, and the decay constants are \lambda_1 (from N_1 \rightarrow N_2) and \lambda_2 (from N_2 \rightarrow N_3), then derive the expression for N_2 at time t. Given that the daughter N_3 is stable.