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In a certain rock, the ratio of lead atoms to uranium atoms is 0.300. Assume that uranium has a half-life of4.47×109yand that the rock had no lead atoms when it formed. How old is the rock?

Short Answer

Expert verified

The rock is 1.69×109yold.

Step by step solution

01

Given data

Ratio of lead atoms to uranium atoms,NPbNU=0.300

Half-life of uranium, T1/2=4.47×109y

02

Understanding the concept of radioactive dating  

Radioactive dating is a method used by geologists to calculate the age of a sample by knowing the radioactive substance in the sample with its given mass or abundance. Using the exponential function for calculating the number of undecayed nuclei, we can calculate the age of the rock as it decays with the decay of the radioactive nuclides.

Formulae:

The undecayed sample after a given time,N=N0e-λt................1

The disintegration constant,λ=In2T1/2............2

Where, T1/2 is the half-life of the substance.

03

Calculation of the age of the rock

Using equation (1), the amount of uranium atoms and lead atoms present in the rock at time is given as follows:

NU=N0e-λtNPb=N0-NU=N0-N0e-λt=N01-e-λt

Now, the ratio of the value of the lead atoms to the uranium atoms can be given as follows that gives the age of the rock as:

NPbNU=N01-e-λ³ÙN0e-λ³Ù0.3=1-e-λ³Ùe-λ³Ùeλt-=0.3eλt=1.3λt=In1.3In2T1/2t=In1.3∵fromequation2t=4.47×109yIn1.3In2=1.69×109y

Hence, the age of the rock is 1.69×109y.

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