1. We start with 400 atoms of Uranium-238. How many remain after 4.5 billion years? _______ After 9 billion years? _______ After 13.5 billion years? ________
2 . How long will it take for ½ of the original amount of Rubidium-87 to decay? _______
3. Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,730 years. How does that compare to those listed in the chart?
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What possible advantages or disadvantages would this give C-14 when used for radiometric dating?
Chart : h t t p : / / i m g u r . c o m / B 2 w R G Y D
I honestly have no idea how to do this kind of stuff, please help
You should have a text book showing you how to do problems like these, but for number one, Uranium-338 is commonly known as an isotope of Uranium, so 400 Atoms of Uranium-338 dividing by 4.5 billion years, then 9 billion, and 13.5 billion.
1. To answer these questions, we need to understand the concept of radioactive decay and the half-life of Uranium-238.
Radioactive decay is a process in which the nucleus of an unstable atom spontaneously breaks down, releasing radiation and transforming into a different atom. The rate at which radioactive atoms decay is measured by their half-life, which is the time it takes for half of the original sample to decay.
The half-life of Uranium-238 is approximately 4.5 billion years. This means that after 4.5 billion years, half of the original Uranium-238 atoms will have decayed, and half will remain.
To find out how many atoms remain after a certain time, we can use the formula:
Remaining atoms = Initial atoms * (1/2)^(time/half-life)
Let's calculate the number of remaining atoms for each given time:
- After 4.5 billion years: Remaining atoms = 400 * (1/2)^(4.5/4.5) = 200 atoms
- After 9 billion years: Remaining atoms = 400 * (1/2)^(9/4.5) = 100 atoms
- After 13.5 billion years: Remaining atoms = 400 * (1/2)^(13.5/4.5) = 50 atoms
2. To determine how long it will take for half of the original Rubidium-87 to decay, we can use the concept of half-life.
The half-life of Rubidium-87 is not provided in the question, so we need that information to proceed with the calculation. Without the half-life value, we cannot accurately determine the time required for half of the original Rubidium-87 atoms to decay.
3. The question asks how the half-life of Carbon-14 (5730 years) compares to the values listed in the provided chart.
Unfortunately, we cannot directly access the chart you mentioned. However, I can explain that the chart likely includes various isotopes with different half-lives. The half-life represents the time it takes for an isotope to decay by half.
To compare Carbon-14's half-life (5730 years) with the isotopes listed in the chart, you need to examine the values in the chart and compare them to 5730 years. Look for isotopes with shorter half-lives (decaying faster) or longer half-lives (decaying slower) in the chart.
Advantages and disadvantages of Carbon-14 for radiometric dating:
- Advantages: Carbon-14 dating is useful for determining the ages of organic materials up to around 50,000 years old. It is commonly used in archaeology, anthropology, and paleontology. The relatively shorter half-life of Carbon-14 allows for dating of more recent materials.
- Disadvantages: Carbon-14 dating is not applicable for dating older materials, as its usefulness diminishes beyond 50,000 years due to the limited amount of remaining Carbon-14. Additionally, contamination or mixing of different carbon sources can affect the accuracy of the dating method.