The Cosmic Perspective (9th Edition)
The Cosmic Perspective (9th Edition)
9th Edition
ISBN: 9780134874364
Author: Jeffrey O. Bennett, Megan O. Donahue, Nicholas Schneider, Mark Voit
Publisher: PEARSON
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Question
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Chapter 8, Problem 1VSC
To determine

The most radioactive element among.

  1. Uranium −235
  2. Potassium −40M
  3. Both are equally radioactive

Expert Solution & Answer
Check Mark

Answer to Problem 1VSC

The most radioactive element is uranium 235.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

Radioactive elements emit radiation and decays by themselves.

The half-life of radioactive substance is the time taken by a substance to decay half of its original value. A radioactive isotope with lower half-life decays fast as compared to another radioactive isotopes.

The given plot shows that uranium 235 has half-life of less than 1 unit and potassium 40 has a half-life of 1.25 units.

So, the most radioactive element is uranium 235 correct answer is (a).

Conclusion:

The most radioactive element is uranium 235.

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Chapter 8 Solutions

The Cosmic Perspective (9th Edition)

Ch. 8 - How was the formation of jovian planets similar to...Ch. 8 - What is the solar wind, and what roles did it play...Ch. 8 - How did planet formation lead to the existence of...Ch. 8 - What was the heavy bombardment, and when did it...Ch. 8 - What is the leading hypothesis for the Moon’s...Ch. 8 - Prob. 13EAPCh. 8 - How old is the solar system, and how do we know?Ch. 8 - Surprising Discoveries? Suppose we found a solar...Ch. 8 - Prob. 16EAPCh. 8 - Surprising Discoveries? Suppose we found a solar...Ch. 8 - Prob. 18EAPCh. 8 - Prob. 19EAPCh. 8 - Prob. 20EAPCh. 8 - Prob. 21EAPCh. 8 - Prob. 22EAPCh. 8 - Prob. 23EAPCh. 8 - Prob. 24EAPCh. 8 - Choose the best answer to each of the following....Ch. 8 - Choose the best answer to each of the following....Ch. 8 - Choose the best answer to each of the following....Ch. 8 - Prob. 28EAPCh. 8 - Choose the best answer to each of the following....Ch. 8 - Choose the best answer to each of the following....Ch. 8 - Prob. 31EAPCh. 8 - Choose the best answer to each of the following....Ch. 8 - Choose the best answer to each of the following....Ch. 8 - Choose the best answer to each of the following....Ch. 8 - Explaining the Past. Is it really possible for...Ch. 8 - Prob. 37EAPCh. 8 - Prob. 38EAPCh. 8 - An Early Solar Wind. Suppose the solar wind had...Ch. 8 - Angular Momentum. Suppose our solar nebula had...Ch. 8 - Two Kinds of Planets. The jovian planets differ...Ch. 8 - Prob. 43EAPCh. 8 - Prob. 44EAPCh. 8 - Prob. 45EAPCh. 8 - Prob. 46EAPCh. 8 - Lucky to Be Here? Considering the overall process...Ch. 8 - Radiometric Dating. You are dating rocks by their...Ch. 8 - Lunar Rocks. You are dating Moon rocks based on...Ch. 8 - Carbon-14 Dating. The half-life of carbon-14 is...Ch. 8 - Prob. 51EAPCh. 8 - Icy Earth. How massive would Earth have to have...Ch. 8 - What Are the Odds? The fact that all the planets...Ch. 8 - Spinning Up the Solar Nebula. The orbital speed of...
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