Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope which decays with a half-life of 5730 years. What is the first-order rate constant for its decay, in units of years¯¹?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The first-order rate constant, k, can be calculated using the equation: 
k = ln(2)/t1/2, 
where ln is the natural logarithm and t1/2 is the half-life. 
Plugging in the given values, we get: 
k = ln(2)/5730 years 
k ≈ 1.21 × 10^-4 years^-1 
Therefore, the answer is choice B.

Carbon-14 Is a Radioactive Isotope Which Decays with a Half-Life