Question

What would the percentage of thorium-232 (parent compound) be in a rock that was dated at 2.8 billions years?

Answer 1

The half-life of Th-232 is 1.405 × 10¹⁰ years  

Time elapsed = 2.8 x 10⁹ years  

Equation of radioactive decay:

A = A₀ = (1/2)^ t/t₁/₂

where A₀ is the initial amount, A is the amount after time t, t₁/₂ is the half file

The fraction of thorium-232 that remains in the rock after 2.8 billions years is,

A/A₀ = (1/2) ^ (2.8 x 10⁹/ 1.405 × 10¹⁰) = 0.871

Therefore, the percentage of thorium-232 in the rock that was dated at 2.8 billions year = 87.1%