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Q: If an isotope is radioactive then what part of it breaks down over time?
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How are radioactive isotopes used determine the absolute age of igneous rock?

Answer : When the isotopes decay, scientists can find out how old the rock is depending on the radioactive isotope's half-life. Explanation: Radioactive isotopes are unstable and will decay. For example, when humans die carbon-14 decays. The isotopes will decay into a stable isotope over time. Scientists can tell how old the rock was from looking at the radioactive isotope's half-life, which tells them how long it would take for there to be half the radioactive isotope and half the stable isotope. At the next half-life there will be 25% of the radioactive isotope and 75% of the stable isotope. At the next half life there will be 12.5% radioactive and 87.5% stable. Example: Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope with a half life of 5,730 years. How old would carbon-14 be when there is 75% carbon-14 in the rock? 75% is half of the time before the half-life, so it would be 2,365 years. Hope this helps. Half life helps scientists find how much the isotope has decayed and the age of the rock.


When a radioactive tracer is used why is it best to use a radioactive isotope that decays into a stable isotope?

The principle behind the use of radioactive tracers is that an atom in a chemical compound is replaced by another atom, of the same chemical element. The substituting atom, however, is a radioactive isotope. This process is often called radioactive labeling.


What is the difference between and radioactive and stable isotope?

Radioactive isotopes emit radiation in the form of alpha, beta, positron or gamma rays to become a stable isotope of any given particular element. This is caused by the instability of the nucleus of the atom. The stabilising process in which unstable atoms undergo is known as radioactive decay. Isotopes that are stable do not emit radiation. For example; Carbon-12 is stable and carbon-14 is radioactive.


How is the half-life of a radioactive isotope found?

The half life of actinium (for the natural isotope 227Ac) is 21,773 years.


When three-quarters of a radioactive isotope has decayed to become the stable daughter product how many half lives have occured?

1/8 one over eight

Related questions

What does it mean if an element it radioactive?

this is because an element is sometimes never radioactive but one may be made just to be radioactive this is because an element is sometimes never radioactive but one may be made just to be radioactive


How are radioactive isotopes used to determine the absolute age of igneous rock.?

Answer : When the isotopes decay, scientists can find out how old the rock is depending on the radioactive isotope's half-life. Explanation: Radioactive isotopes are unstable and will decay. For example, when humans die carbon-14 decays. The isotopes will decay into a stable isotope over time. Scientists can tell how old the rock was from looking at the radioactive isotope's half-life, which tells them how long it would take for there to be half the radioactive isotope and half the stable isotope. At the next half-life there will be 25% of the radioactive isotope and 75% of the stable isotope. At the next half life there will be 12.5% radioactive and 87.5% stable. Example: Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope with a half life of 5,730 years. How old would carbon-14 be when there is 75% carbon-14 in the rock? 75% is half of the time before the half-life, so it would be 2,365 years. Hope this helps. Half life helps scientists find how much the isotope has decayed and the age of the rock.


How are radioactive isotopes used determine the absolute age of igneous rock?

Answer : When the isotopes decay, scientists can find out how old the rock is depending on the radioactive isotope's half-life. Explanation: Radioactive isotopes are unstable and will decay. For example, when humans die carbon-14 decays. The isotopes will decay into a stable isotope over time. Scientists can tell how old the rock was from looking at the radioactive isotope's half-life, which tells them how long it would take for there to be half the radioactive isotope and half the stable isotope. At the next half-life there will be 25% of the radioactive isotope and 75% of the stable isotope. At the next half life there will be 12.5% radioactive and 87.5% stable. Example: Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope with a half life of 5,730 years. How old would carbon-14 be when there is 75% carbon-14 in the rock? 75% is half of the time before the half-life, so it would be 2,365 years. Hope this helps. Half life helps scientists find how much the isotope has decayed and the age of the rock.


When a radioactive tracer is used why is it best to use a radioactive isotope that decays into a stable isotope?

The principle behind the use of radioactive tracers is that an atom in a chemical compound is replaced by another atom, of the same chemical element. The substituting atom, however, is a radioactive isotope. This process is often called radioactive labeling.


How is radioactive decay used to determine the absolute age a rocks?

The basic idea is to measure the amount of the radioactive isotope, and of one or more of its decay products. The older the rock, the larger the percentage of the original isotope that decayed - so the ratio between the original isotope and the decay product changes over time.


Does Argon Decay?

There are over twenty known isotopes of argon. Of these all but three are radioactive and decay. Of naturally occurring argon, very nearly 100% is not radioactive, with only traces of one radioactive isotope found.


A radioactive isotope has eight neutrons Write the atomic number and mass number of this radioactive nitrogen as a chemical symbol with a subscript and superscript?

The atomic number of nitrogen is 7. When it is a radioactive isotope you add the number of neutrons to the atomic number (equaling 15). You then write 15 over 7 next to a capital 'N' representing Nitrogen.


Is copper radioactive?

No isotope of copper ordinarily found in nature is radioactive. Like all elements, synthetic radioactive isotopes of copper exist.


What are the different types of dating?

By far the most common is radioactive dating which involves checking the amount of a given radioactive isotope in a given sample is left over (and calculating from the half-life [the time it takes for a radioactive element/isotope to decay to half the original amount]). Another one would likely be tree-ring dating which only determines the age of trees by how many rings it has.


what are different types of dates?

By far the most common is radioactive dating which involves checking the amount of a given radioactive isotope in a given sample is left over (and calculating from the half-life [the time it takes for a radioactive element/isotope to decay to half the original amount]). Another one would likely be tree-ring dating which only determines the age of trees by how many rings it has.


Isotopes which have unstable nucleus and break down at a constant rate over time?

radioactive isotopes! :)


Can antifreeze burn?

No, but it breaks down over time.