Concept explainers
What does the proportion of lead and uranium in rock tell us about the age of the rock?
The proportion of lead and uranium in rock that tells about the age of the rock.
Answer to Problem 9TE
The proportion of lead and uranium in rock tells about the exact age of the rock with the rate of decay of uranium from the half-life of the element.
Explanation of Solution
It is known that half-life of an element is inversely proportional to the radio-activity of that element.
The half-life of the element uranium can be found out to be around 4.5 billion years. Therefore, if some rock has uranium present in it, then half of the uranium's initial amount will turn in the rock. Uranium-235 undergoes radioactive decay and transforms to lead.
It undergoes radioactive decay through different lower molecular weight radioactive atoms and eventually transforms into the atom, which has the highest molecular weight amount the non-radioactive atoms, lead.
Then, using the rate constant of uranium decay, the exact age of the rock can be calculated from the ratio of lead and uranium present in it.
Conclusion:
Therefore, the proportion of lead and uranium in rock tells about the exact age of the rock with the rate of decay of uranium from the half-life of the element.
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