Question

The isotope silicon 32 decays into phosphorus 32. Silicon 32 has a half-life of 170 years and can be used to find the age of rocks it is contained in. Which two statements are true regarding this scenario?

Answer 1

Answer:

B and C

Explanation:

B. In a given rock sample, the amount of Silicon-32 isotopes gets divided in half about every 170yrs.

This is the concept of half-life. Half life is the time take for half of a radioactive isotope to disintegrate. The shorter the half life the faster the isotope disintegrates.

From the question, we were told that it would take 170yrs for half of the isotope of Silicon to disintegrate to Phosphorus. This is the half life.

C. The half life can be used to determine the amount of Si-32 that has decayed from the time closure temperature was reached.

The closure temperature is very important in radioactivity. It is the temperature at which a system has cooled and there is no resulting disintegration of parent and daughter isotopes.

From first order kinetics, we know that the rate at which radioactive elements decay at any time is directly proportional to the number of radioactive atoms present. A knowledge of the half life helps to figure out the number of atoms that has decayed in time.