Q1. The answer is 1.
It can be calculated using the equation:
(1/2)ⁿ = x
x - decimal amount remaining,
n - a number of half-lives.
x = 50% = 50/100 = 0.5
n = ?
(1/2)ⁿ = 0.5
log((1/2)ⁿ) = log(0.5)
n * log(1/2) = log(0.5)
n * log(0.5) = log(0.5)
n = log(0.5)/log(0.5)
n = 1
Q10. The answer is 2.
It can be calculated using the equation:
(1/2)ⁿ = x
x - decimal amount remaining,
n - a number of half-lives.
Rhyolite #2 has 25% of the parent H remaining:
x = 25% = 25/100 = 0.25
n = ?
(1/2)ⁿ = 0.25
log((1/2)ⁿ) = log(0.25)
n * log(1/2) = log(0.25)
n * log(0.5) = log(0.25)
n = log(0.25)/log(0.5)
n = -0.602 / - 0.301
n = 2
Q3. The answer is 100 million years.
A number of half-lives (n) is a quotient of total time elapsed (t) and length of half-life (H):
n = t/H
n = 1
t = ?
H = 100 000 000 years
n = t/H
t = n * H
t = 1 * 100 000 000 years
t = 100 000 000 years<span>
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