The correct definition that describes a half-life is:
1. The time required for half of a radioactive sample to decay.
In the context of radioactive decay, the half-life of a substance refers to the time it takes for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to undergo radioactive decay. This means that after one half-life, half of the original radioactive atoms have decayed into stable atoms, while the other half remains radioactive. The concept of half-life is crucial in understanding the rate of decay of radioactive substances and is used in various scientific fields such as geology, archeology, and medicine.