Potassium-40 (40K) decays to Argon-40 (40Ar) with a half-life of 1.27 billion years. If a lunar rock was collected, and it was found that the number of 40K was 12% of its original number, then how old is that rock?

Respuesta :

Answer:

The rock is 3.88 billion years old.

Explanation:

Initial mass of the K-40 isotope = x

Final mass of  the K-40 isotope = 12% of x = 0.12x

Half life of the K-40 =[tex]t_{\frac{1}{2}}[/tex] =1.27 billion years

Age of the sample = t

Formula used :

[tex]N=N_o\times e^{-\lambda t}\\\\\lambda =\frac{0.693}{t_{\frac{1}{2}}}[/tex]

where,

[tex]N_o[/tex] = initial mass of isotope

N = mass of the parent isotope left after the time, (t)

[tex]t_{\frac{1}{2}}[/tex] = half life of the isotope

[tex]\lambda[/tex] = rate constant

[tex]N=N_o\times e^{-(\frac{0.693}{t_{1/2}})\times t}[/tex]

Now put all the given values in this formula, we get

[tex]0.12x=x\times e^{-(\frac{0.693}{1.27 \text{billion years}})\times t}[/tex]

[tex]\ln(0.12) \times \frac{1.27 \text{billion years}}{0.693}=-t[/tex]

t = 3.88 billion years

The rock is 3.88 billion years old.