The plant was alive 22920 years.
<h2>Further explanation:</h2><h3>Radioactivity</h3>
- Radioactivity is the process by which unstable nuclides or isotopes undergo spontaneous disintegration by emitting beta, alpha or gamma particles and energy.
<h3>Half life </h3>
- Half life is the time it takes for a radioactive isotope to decay by half of its original mass.
- For example, the half life of carbon-14 is 5730 years which means it takes 5730 years for mass of carbon-14 to decay to a half the original amount.
<h3>Importance of half life</h3>
- Half-life is used to approximate the age of fossils or other organic materials. eg, half-life of carbon-14.
N = No x (1/2)^n
Where N is the remaining mass, No is the original, and n is the number of half lives.
The half life is 5730 years
Remaining mass = 1/16
original mass = 1
Therefore;
Replacing the values in the equation;
1/16 = 1 x (1/2)^n
1/16 = (1/2)^n
log (1/16) = n log (1/2)
n = log(1/16)/log(1/2)
= 4
The number of half lives is 4
Therefore;
The time taken for the decay = 4 x 5730 years
= 22920 years
Keywords: Radioactivity, half life, radioactive
<h3>Learn more about;</h3>
Level: High school
Subject; Physics
Topic: Radioactivity