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.
State the law of radioactive decay.
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.
The Q value of a nuclear reaction \[\ce{A + b → C + d}\] 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.
\[\ce{^1_1H + ^3_1H -> ^2_1H + ^2_1H}\]
Atomic masses are given to be
`"m"(""_1^2"H")` = 2.014102 u
`"m"(""_1^3"H")` = 3.016049 u
`"m"(""_6^12"C")` = 12.000000 u
`"m"(""_10^20"Ne")` = 19.992439 u
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 radioactive nucleus 'A' undergoes a series of decays as given below:
The mass number and atomic number of A2 are 176 and 71 respectively. Determine the mass and atomic numbers of A4 and A.
Using the equation `N = N_0e^(-lambdat)` obtain the relation between half-life (T) and decay constant (`lambda`) of a radioactive substance.
Two different radioactive elements with half lives T1 and T2 have N1 and N2 undecayed atoms respectively present at a given instant. Derive an expression for the ratio of their activities at this instant in terms of N1 and N2 ?
Define the activity of a given radioactive substance. Write its S.I. unit.
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.
A radioactive nucleus ‘A’ undergoes a series of decays according to the following scheme:
The mass number and atomic number of A are 180 and 72 respectively. What are these numbers for A4?
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?
A freshly prepared radioactive source of half-life 2 h emits radiation of intensity which is 64 times the permissible safe level. The minimum time after which it would be possible to work safely with this source is
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 238U is 4.9 × 10−18 S−1. (a) What is the average-life of 238U? (b) What is the half-life of 238U? (c) By what factor does the activity of a 238U sample decrease in 9 × 109 years?
When charcoal is prepared from a living tree, it shows a disintegration rate of 15.3 disintegrations of 14C per gram per minute. A sample from an ancient piece of charcoal shows 14C activity to be 12.3 disintegrations per gram per minute. How old is this sample? Half-life of 14C is 5730 y.
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.
Obtain a relation between the half-life of a radioactive substance and decay constant (λ).
Define the term 'decay constant' of a radioactive sample. The rate of disintegration of a given radioactive nucleus is 10000 disintegrations/s and 5,000 disintegrations/s after 20 hr. and 30 hr. respectively from start. Calculate the half-life and the initial number of nuclei at t= 0.
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`
A radioactive substance disintegrates into two types of daughter nuclei, one type with disintegration constant λ1 and the other type with disintegration constant λ2 . Determine the half-life of the radioactive substance.
What is the amount of \[\ce{_27^60Co}\] necessary to provide a radioactive source of strength 10.0 mCi, its half-life being 5.3 years?
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.
Two radioactive materials X1 and X2 have decay constants 10λ and λ respectively. If initially, they have the same number of nuclei, then the ratio of the number of nuclei of X1 to that of X2 will belie after a time.
Which one of the following nuclei has shorter meant life?
'Half-life' of a radioactive substance accounts for ______.
The half-life of a radioactive sample undergoing `alpha` - decay is 1.4 x 1017 s. If the number of nuclei in the sample is 2.0 x 1021, the activity of the sample is nearly ____________.
After 1 hour, `(1/8)^"th"` of the initial mass of a certain radioactive isotope remains undecayed. The half-life of the isotopes 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?
If 10% of a radioactive material decay in 5 days, then the amount of original material left after 20 days is approximately :
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.
Which sample, A or B shown in figure has shorter mean-life?
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.
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.
The half-life of `""_82^210Pb` is 22.3 y. How long will it take for its activity 0 30% of the initial activity?
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 ______.
