Compute the age of a piece of solidified lava

Assignment Help Physics

Reference no: EM13304989

The technique known as potassium-argon dating is used to date old lava flows and thus any fossilized skeletons found in them, like this 1.8-million-year-old hominid skull. The potassium isotope 40^K has a 1.28 billion year half-life and is naturally present at very low levels. 40^K decays by beta emission into the stable isotope 40^Ar. Argon is a gas, and there is no argon in flowing lava because the gas escapes. Once the lava solidifies, any argon produced in the decay of 40^Ar is trapped inside and cannot escape.

What is the age of a piece of solidified lava with a 40^Ar/ 40^K ratio of 0.11?

Reference no: EM13304989

Questions Cloud

Calculate the crossover rate : From your answers to Parts a, b, and c, which project would be selected? If the WACC was 18%, which project would be selected?

Find the powers of the correcting contact lenses : A person can focus clearly only on objects between 37.5cmand 51.0cm from his eyes. Find the powers of the correcting contact lenses needed to correct his closeup vision and distant vision

Compute the bond expected rate of return : You own a 20-year, $1,000 par value bond paying 7 percent interest annually. The market price of the bond is $875, and your required rate of return is 10 percent.

Find is she nearsighted or farsighted : A person can see clearly up close, but cannot focus on objects beyond 82.0cm . She opts for contact lenses to correct her vision. Is she nearsighted or farsighted

Compute the age of a piece of solidified lava : The technique known as potassium-argon dating is used to date old lava flows and thus any fossilized skeletons found in them, What is the age of a piece of solidified lava

What is the tracer''s half-life : A 115 mCi radioactive tracer is made in a reactor. When delivered to a hospital 16 hours later its activity is 95 mCi. What is the tracer's half-life

Determine the peak current that flows in this circuit : An LRC series circuit with R= 150 ohms, L= 25 mH and C= 2 mF is powered by an AC voltage source of peak voltage Vo= 340 V, Determine the peak current that flows in this circuit

Determine how deep is the pool : A 5.0-m-wide swimming pool is filled to the top. The bottom of the pool becomes completely shaded in the afternoon, How deep is the pool

What is the average kinetic energy of the gas molecules : A certain ideal gas is kept at 350K in a container with a volume of 3 cubic meters. what is the average kinetic energy of the gas molecules

User Account

All Pages