What order is the radioactive decay of carbon-14, an unstable isotope of carbon?
A. Third order
B. Second order
C. Zero order
D. First order
D. First order
Radioactive decay is always a first order reaction.
Well, I must say, carbon-14 sure knows how to keep things interesting. It prefers to go about its radioactive decay in a first-order fashion. So the answer is D. First order. Keep those electrons on their toes, carbon-14!
The order of radioactive decay refers to the mathematical relationship between the concentration of the radioactive substance and time. In the case of carbon-14 decay, it is a first-order process.
Therefore, the correct answer is D. First order.
To determine the order of radioactive decay for carbon-14, we need to understand the concept of radioactive decay and the mathematical expression that describes it.
Radioactive decay is a spontaneous process where unstable atoms decay into more stable forms. In the case of carbon-14, it decays by emitting a beta particle (an electron) and a neutrino, resulting in the transformation of a neutron into a proton.
The rate of radioactive decay can be quantified using a mathematical expression known as the decay rate equation:
Rate = k * [N]
In this equation, Rate represents the rate of decay of the radioactive isotope, [N] is the concentration of the isotope, and k is the decay constant or rate constant.
For first-order decay, the rate of decay is directly proportional to the concentration of the radioactive isotope. Mathematically, this can be represented as:
Rate = k * [N]
For second-order decay, the rate of decay is proportional to the square of the concentration. The equation can be written as:
Rate = k * [N]^2
For zero-order decay, the rate of decay is independent of the concentration and remains constant over time.
To determine the order of the decay, we can look at the equation for radioactive decay of carbon-14. Since the rate of decay is directly proportional to the concentration of carbon-14, the decay order is:
D. First order