Question

The half-life of Carbon 14 (C-14) is 5230 years. Determine the decay-rate pa-rameterλfor C-14.

Answer 1

Answer:

λ = 1.3252 x 10⁻⁴

Step-by-step explanation:

Since we are already given the half-life, the decay expression can be simplified as:

$N(t) = N_0*e^{-\lambda t}\\\frac{N(half-life)}{N_0}=0.5$

For a half-life of t =5230 years:

$0.5 = e^{(-\lambda t)} \\ln(0.5) = -\lambda * 5230\\\lambda = 1.3252*10^{-4}$

The decay-rate parameter λ for C-14 is 1.3252 x 10⁻⁴