What is an example first order half life problem?

1 Answer
Jan 16, 2017

Consider the first-order half-life decay of #""_(6)^(14) "C"#. Given that the half-life is #"5730 yrs"#, calculate the rate constant for this process in #bb("s"^(-1))# (use the conversion #"365.24 days = 1 yr"#).

Given an initial concentration of #"0.50 M"#, calculate the initial rate of this process in #bb("M/s")#.

Equations you will need:

#t_"1/2" = (ln2)/k#
(first-order half-life)

#r(t) = k[""_(6)^(14) "C"]#
(first-order rate law)

Answers:

  • #k = 3.83xx10^(-12) "s"^(-1)#
  • #r(t) = 1.92xx10^(-12) "M/s"#