IDNLearn.com provides a comprehensive platform for finding accurate answers. Discover the reliable solutions you need with help from our comprehensive and accurate Q&A platform.

Compute the age of a basalt rock sample from the Moon containing 6 grams of Uranium-235 (parent isotope) and 42 grams of Lead-207 (daughter isotope). This rock is from a complex crater flooded with lava. The half-life of Uranium-235 is 704 million years.

Sagot :

Answer:

Age of rock = 21112000000 years

Explanation:

The half-life of a radioactive material is the time taken for half the original material to decay or it is the time required for a quantity to reduce to half of its initial value.

The ratio of parent isotope, Uranium-235 to daughter isotope, Lead-207 = 6 : 42 = 1 : 7

This means that for every one gram of the parent isotope, there are 7 grams of the daughter isotope. So,the quantity of radioactive material left is one out of eight its original value.

Number of half-lives undergone for 1/8 of the original value to to remain is given below:

1/8 = 1/2 × 1/2 × 1/2

Therefore, number of half-lives = 3 half-lives

Age of rock = half-life of Uranium -235 × number of half-lives

The half-life of Uranium-235 is 704 million years = 704000000

Age of rock = 704000000 × 3

Age of rock = 21112000000 years

Thank you for contributing to our discussion. Don't forget to check back for new answers. Keep asking, answering, and sharing useful information. IDNLearn.com provides the answers you need. Thank you for visiting, and see you next time for more valuable insights.