A geological sample is found to have a Pb-206/U-238 mass ratio of 0.337/1.00.Assuming there was no Pb-206 present when the sample was formed,how old is it? The half-life of U-238 is 4.5 × 10⁹ years.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The age of the sample can be calculated using the decay equation and the given Pb-206/U-238 ratio. The formula is: t = (T_half / ln(2)) * ln(1 + D/P), where D is the number of daughter isotopes (Pb-206), P is the number of parent isotopes (U-238), and T_half is the half-life of U-238. Substituting the given values, the age is approximately 7.1 × 10^9 years.

A Geological Sample Is Found to Have a Pb-206/U-238 Mass