In a 3×109 -year-old rock that originally contained some 238U , which has a half-life of 4.5×109 years, we expect to find some 238U remaining in it. Why are 226 Ra , 222 Rn , and 210 Po also found in such a rock, even though they have much shorter half-lives (1600 years, 3.8 days, and 138 days, respectively)?

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Chapter19: The Nucleus: A Chemist's View
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In a 3×109 -year-old rock that originally contained some 238U , which has a half-life of 4.5×109 years, we expect to find some 238U remaining in it. Why are 226 Ra , 222 Rn , and 210 Po also found in such a rock, even though they have much shorter half-lives (1600 years, 3.8 days, and 138 days, respectively)?

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