Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
Before the year 1900 the activity per unit mass of atmospheric carbon due to the presence of 14C averaged about 0.255 Bq per gram of carbon.
(a) What fraction of carbon atoms were 14C?
(b) An archaeological specimen containing 500 mg of carbon, shows 174 decays in one hour. What is the age of the specimen, assuming that its activity per unit mass of carbon when the specimen died was equal to the average value of the air? The half-life of 14C is 5730 years.
Advertisements
Solution
Data: T1/2 = 5730 y
∴ `lambda = 0.693/(5730 xx 3.156 xx 10^7)"s"^-1`
= 3.832 × 10-12 s-1, A = 0.255 Bq per gram of carbon in part (a); M = 500 mg = 500 × 10-3 g,
174 decays in one hour = `174/3600` dis/s = 0.04833 dis/s in part (b) [per 500 mg]
(a) A = Nλ
∴ N = `"A"/lambda = 0.255/(3.832 xx 10^-12)`
= 6.654 × 1010
Number of atoms in 1 g of carbon = `(6.02 xx 10^23)/12 = 5.017 xx 10^22`
`(5.017 xx 10^22)/(6.654 xx 10^10) = 0.7539 xx 10^12`
∴ 1 14C atom per 0.7539 x 1012 atoms of carbon
∴ 4 14C atoms per 3 x 1012 atoms of carbon
(b) Present activity per gram = `0.04833/(500 xx 10^-3)`
= 0.09666 dis/s per gram
A0 = 0.255 dis/s per gram
Now, A(t) = `"A"_0"e"^(-lambda"t")`
∴ `lambda"t" = 2.303 log_10 "A"_0/"A" = 2.303 log_10 (0.255/0.09666)`
∴ t = `(2.303 log 2.638)/(3.832 xx 10^-12) = ((2.303)(0.4213))/(3.832 xx 10^-12)`
= 25.31 × 1010 s
`= (25.32 xx 10^10)/(3.156 xx 10^7) = 8023` years
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
The decay constant of radioactive substance is 4.33 x 10-4 per year. Calculate its half life period.
(a) Write the basic nuclear process involved in the emission of β+ in a symbolic form, by a radioactive nucleus.
(b) In the reactions given below:
(i)`""_16^11C->_y^zB+x+v`
(ii)`""_6^12C+_6^12C->_a^20 Ne + _b^c He`
Find the values of x, y, and z and a, b and c.
Derive the mathematical expression for law of radioactive decay for a sample of a radioactive nucleus
How is the mean life of a given radioactive nucleus related to the decay constant?
Obtain the relation between the decay constant and half life of a radioactive sample.
Why is it found experimentally difficult to detect neutrinos in nuclear β-decay?
A radioactive isotope has a half-life of T years. How long will it take the activity to reduce to a) 3.125%, b) 1% of its original value?
The normal activity of living carbon-containing matter is found to be about 15 decays per minute for every gram of carbon. This activity arises from the small proportion of radioactive `""_6^14"C"` present with the stable carbon isotope `""_6^12"C"`. When the organism is dead, its interaction with the atmosphere (which maintains the above equilibrium activity) ceases and its activity begins to drop. From the known half-life (5730 years) of `""_6^14"C"` and the measured activity, the age of the specimen can be approximately estimated. This is the principle of `""_6^14"C"` dating used in archaeology. Suppose a specimen from Mohenjodaro gives an activity of 9 decays per minute per gram of carbon. Estimate the approximate age of the Indus-Valley civilisation.
The half-life of `""_38^90 "Sr"` is 28 years. What is the disintegration rate of 15 mg of this isotope?
The Q value of a nuclear reaction A + b → C + d is defined by
Q = [mA+ mb − mC − md]c2 where the masses refer to the respective nuclei. Determine from the given data the Q-value of the following reactions and state whether the reactions are exothermic or endothermic.
\[\ce{^12_6C + ^12_6C ->^20_10Ne + ^4_2He}\]
Atomic masses are given to be
`"m"(""_1^2"H")` = 2.014102 u
`"m"(""_1^3"H")` = 3.016049 u
`"m"(""_6^12C)` = 12.000000 u
`"m"(""_10^20"Ne")` = 19.992439 u
A source contains two phosphorous radio nuclides `""_15^32"P"` (T1/2 = 14.3d) and `""_15^33"P"` (T1/2 = 25.3d). Initially, 10% of the decays come from `""_15^33"P"`. How long one must wait until 90% do so?
Why is it experimentally found difficult to detect neutrinos in this process ?
In a given sample, two radioisotopes, A and B, are initially present in the ration of 1 : 4. The half lives of A and B are respectively 100 years and 50 years. Find the time after which the amounts of A and B become equal.
The radioactive isotope D decays according to the sequence
If the mass number and atomic number of D2 are 176 and 71 respectively, what is (i) the mass number (ii) atomic number of D?
In a radioactive decay, neither the atomic number nor the mass number changes. Which of the following particles is emitted in the decay?
Lithium (Z = 3) has two stable isotopes 6Li and 7Li. When neutrons are bombarded on lithium sample, electrons and α-particles are ejected. Write down the nuclear process taking place.
The masses of 11C and 11B are respectively 11.0114 u and 11.0093 u. Find the maximum energy a positron can have in the β*-decay of 11C to 11B.
(Use Mass of proton mp = 1.007276 u, Mass of `""_1^1"H"` atom = 1.007825 u, Mass of neutron mn = 1.008665 u, Mass of electron = 0.0005486 u ≈ 511 keV/c2,1 u = 931 MeV/c2.)
28Th emits an alpha particle to reduce to 224Ra. Calculate the kinetic energy of the alpha particle emitted in the following decay:
`""^228"Th" → ""^224"Ra"^(∗) + alpha`
`""^224"Ra"^(∗) → ""^224"Ra" + γ (217 "keV")`.
Atomic mass of 228Th is 228.028726 u, that of 224Ra is 224.020196 u and that of `""_2^4H` is 4.00260 u.
(Use Mass of proton mp = 1.007276 u, Mass of `""_1^1"H"` atom = 1.007825 u, Mass of neutron mn = 1.008665 u, Mass of electron = 0.0005486 u ≈ 511 keV/c2,1 u = 931 MeV/c2.)
Calculate the maximum kinetic energy of the beta particle emitted in the following decay scheme:
12N → 12C* + e+ + v
12C* → 12C + γ (4.43MeV).
The atomic mass of 12N is 12.018613 u.
(Use Mass of proton mp = 1.007276 u, Mass of `""_1^1"H"` atom = 1.007825 u, Mass of neutron mn = 1.008665 u, Mass of electron = 0.0005486 u ≈ 511 keV/c2,1 u = 931 MeV/c2.)
The decay constant of `""_80^197`Hg (electron capture to `""_79^197`Au) is 1.8 × 10−4 S−1. (a) What is the half-life? (b) What is the average-life? (c) How much time will it take to convert 25% of this isotope of mercury into gold?
A radioactive isotope is being produced at a constant rate dN/dt = R in an experiment. The isotope has a half-life t1/2. Show that after a time t >> t1/2 the number of active nuclei will become constant. Find the value of this constant.
The half-life of 40K is 1.30 × 109 y. A sample of 1.00 g of pure KCI gives 160 counts s−1. Calculate the relative abundance of 40K (fraction of 40K present) in natural potassium.
Obtain a relation between the half-life of a radioactive substance and decay constant (λ).
Identify the nature of the radioactive radiations emitted in each step of the decay process given below.
`""_Z^A X -> _Z^A _-1^-4 Y ->_Z^A _-1^-4 W`
Disintegration rate of a sample is 1010 per hour at 20 hours from the start. It reduces to 6.3 x 109 per hour after 30 hours. Calculate its half-life and the initial number of radioactive atoms in the sample.
A source contains two species of phosphorous nuclei, \[\ce{_15^32P}\] (T1/2 = 14.3 d) and \[\ce{_15^33P}\] (T1/2 = 25.3 d). At time t = 0, 90% of the decays are from \[\ce{_15^32P}\]. How much time has to elapse for only 15% of the decays to be from \[\ce{_15^32P}\]?
Obtain an expression for the decay law of radioactivity. Hence show that the activity A(t) =λNO e-λt.
A radioactive element disintegrates for an interval of time equal to its mean lifetime. The fraction that has disintegrated is ______
Two radioactive materials Y1 and Y2 have decay constants '5`lambda`' and `lambda` respectively. Initially they have same number of nuclei. After time 't', the ratio of number of nuclei of Y1 to that of Y2 is `1/"e"`, then 't' is equal to ______.
What percentage of radioactive substance is left after five half-lives?
Two electrons are ejected in opposite directions from radioactive atoms in a sample of radioactive material. Let c denote the speed of light. Each electron has a speed of 0.67 c as measured by an observer in the laboratory. Their relative velocity is given by ______.
The half-life of a radioactive nuclide is 20 hrs. The fraction of the original activity that will remain after 40 hrs is ______.
If 10% of a radioactive material decay in 5 days, then the amount of original material left after 20 days is approximately :
The half-life of the radioactive substance is 40 days. The substance will disintegrate completely in
Suppose we consider a large number of containers each containing initially 10000 atoms of a radioactive material with a half life of 1 year. After 1 year ______.
When a nucleus in an atom undergoes a radioactive decay, the electronic energy levels of the atom ______.
Samples of two radioactive nuclides A and B are taken. λA and λB are the disintegration constants of A and B respectively. In which of the following cases, the two samples can simultaneously have the same decay rate at any time?
- Initial rate of decay of A is twice the initial rate of decay of B and λA = λB.
- Initial rate of decay of A is twice the initial rate of decay of B and λA > λB.
- Initial rate of decay of B is twice the initial rate of decay of A and λA > λB.
- Initial rate of decay of B is the same as the rate of decay of A at t = 2h and λB < λA.
The variation of decay rate of two radioactive samples A and B with time is shown in figure.
Which of the following statements are true?
- Decay constant of A is greater than that of B, hence A always decays faster than B.
- Decay constant of B is greater than that of A but its decay rate is always smaller than that of A.
- Decay constant of A is greater than that of B but it does not always decay faster than B.
- Decay constant of B is smaller than that of A but still its decay rate becomes equal to that of A at a later instant.
Consider a radioactive nucleus A which decays to a stable nucleus C through the following sequence:
A→B→C
Here B is an intermediate nuclei which is also radioactive. Considering that there are N0 atoms of A initially, plot the graph showing the variation of number of atoms of A and B versus time.
Sometimes a radioactive nucleus decays into a nucleus which itself is radioactive. An example is :
\[\ce{^38Sulphur ->[half-life][= 2.48h] ^{38}Cl ->[half-life][= 0.62h] ^38Air (stable)}\]
Assume that we start with 1000 38S nuclei at time t = 0. The number of 38Cl is of count zero at t = 0 and will again be zero at t = ∞ . At what value of t, would the number of counts be a maximum?
The activity R of an unknown radioactive nuclide is measured at hourly intervals. The results found are tabulated as follows:
| t (h) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| R (MBq) | 100 | 35.36 | 12.51 | 4.42 | 1.56 |
- Plot the graph of R versus t and calculate the half-life from the graph.
- Plot the graph of ln `(R/R_0)` versus t and obtain the value of half-life from the graph.
What is the half-life period of a radioactive material if its activity drops to 1/16th of its initial value of 30 years?
For the following reaction, the particle 'x' is 6C11 → 5B11 + β + X ______.
In the uranium radioactive series, the initial nucleus is \[\ce{_92U^238}\] and that the final nucleus is \[\ce{_82U^206}\]. When uranium nucleus decays to lead, the number of α particles and β particles emitted are ______.
