Potassium ion is present in foods and is an essential nutrient in the human body. One of the naturally occurringisotopes of potassium, potassium-40, is radioactive. Potassium-40 has a natural abundance of 0.0117% and a half-lifet1/2 = 1.28 x109 yr. It undergoes radioactive decay in three ways: 98.2% is by electron capture, 1.35% is by beta emission,and 0.49% is by positron emission. (a) Why should we expect 40K to be radioactive? (b) Write the nuclear equations for thethree modes by which 40K decays. (c) How many 40K+ ions are present in 1.00 g of KCl? (d) How long does it take for 1.00% ofthe 40K in a sample to undergo radioactive decay?

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Chapter14: Nuclear Chemistry
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Potassium ion is present in foods and is an essential nutrient in the human body. One of the naturally occurring
isotopes of potassium, potassium-40, is radioactive. Potassium-40 has a natural abundance of 0.0117% and a half-life
t1/2 = 1.28 x109 yr. It undergoes radioactive decay in three ways: 98.2% is by electron capture, 1.35% is by beta emission,
and 0.49% is by positron emission. (a) Why should we expect 40K to be radioactive? (b) Write the nuclear equations for the
three modes by which 40K decays. (c) How many 40K+ ions are present in 1.00 g of KCl? (d) How long does it take for 1.00% of
the 40K in a sample to undergo radioactive decay?

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