Denise Milani Tooples

Radioisotopes of non-radioactive elements in nature: C-14, K-40, Rb-87. Dating methods.

In nature there are unstable elements such as uranium or thorium known, neither isotope stable.

However, there are certain things in nature that, despite being stable, with a radioisotope which occurs naturally.

Carbon-14:

The best known is carbon-14. This isotope of carbon is unstable with a half life of 5715 years. When a neutron from space enters the atmosphere and collides with an atom of N-14 (most common stable isotope of nitrogen), it absorbs a neutron and releases a proton, thus forming the C-14. This is oxidized to C02, and that is when the atmosphere goes down. Plants absorb it, even we breathe, and we always have a minimum amount of C-14 in our body because it occurs constantly. Once a living being dies, he leaves to absorb C-14, and the amount of this in your body is going down because the carbon-14 decays (beta decay -, thatis, releases an electron to be re-N-14) . Thus, in the amount of C-14 present in the fossil or object to dating is to know how old she is. Curious, is not it? This is the technique most often used for dating, but not the only unstable radioisotope, there are others. Getting

C-14, WHERE?

This occurs naturally and is everywhere, but if you want to get C-14 isolated, high purity, podeís make this site .
As you can see it sold as CO2 and Barium Carbonate, apart from selling other beta-emitting isotopes, such as Pm-147 or Tl-204.
on the same site also sells lamps made perpetual C-14, which as in my previous post, called Carbolum . I think
This site is UK, maybe it legal to buy from Spain.
Later I shall tell you a lot of places sell radioisotopes.

Potassium-40:

This coexists with the radioisotope potassium-39 (the lifetime) and Potassium-41 (stable and occurs in 6% in nature). It has a half life of 1,277 x10 ^ 9 years (Yes, that's a lot), and decays by EC (Electronic capture). This is the same as the beta + decay where a proton absorbs an electron from the layer L or K to become a neutron, releasing a positron (not always), a neutrino and a gamma ray to adjust its mass.
of curiosity, I will say that a radioisotope that decays by electron capture can be stopped if it is fully ionized, ie if you start all the electrons can not decay and will remain stable until you find alguno.El K-40 to be in nature can find perfectly electrons, and then decays to argon-40, which is a noble gas that does not react with almost any element (As any noble gas). As

dating method is used extensively in the rocks and some fossils, by measuring the ratio of potassium-40 and argon-40.Al have a life longer than the C-14, is best method for fossil life very long, plus the Potassium-40 occurs in marine animals, unlike the C-14. Getting

K-40, WHERE?

As the K-40 occurs in nature, virtually all of the potassium compounds have some radioactivity. But of course, must take into account the concentration of potassium in the compuesto.Por example, if we Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) there is less potassium in a mole that this compound in a mole of potassium chloride (KCl), made where there are plenty of potassium.
And this compound, where I can get? For salt diet, or low in sodium.
In this salt, sodium chloride (NaCl) is replaced by potassium chloride (KCl), pudiendola people who do not tolerate ingested sodium, as people with hypertension problems. It is very easy to find in any supermarket.
If we take some of this salt in a bowl, we can capture with a Geiger counter up to 100 CPM (counts per minute). Put another tube that closely. Not much radioactivity, but the truth is that to realize the K-40 at 0.01% in nature, it shows enough.
So far I have not found anywhere to isolate what, if anything you can buy at any store potassium chemicals, is a very common.

Rubidium-87:

The Rubidium is an alkaline plateado.Es color solid, but melts at a temperature of 39.31 ° C. Burns on contact with air and explodes spontaneously in contact with water. I here Brainiac a video where they mix with water alkaline elements.
Well, it appears that the rubidium-85 is a stable isotope and more is given (by 72.17%), but the Rubidium-87 occurs in ... a 27.83%!


As you can see, the Rubidium always come packaged in a blister vacuum or argon, unless you please burn. And if you have a blister is cesium or rubidium and you want to see how it melts in your hand, keep cuidado.Porque if the blister is broken when fire metal, you will eat the flesh and bone. If a blister with plenty, not be forced to amputate. no kidding.

And to get ...
This is much Rubidium-87, and of course people will not kill to separate the two isotopes, and that if you buy something of Rubidium in places like Smart-Elements (legal, reliable, with inexpensive but with Cesium Rubidium as a bit expensive) or if you look Rubidium by Ebay U.S. or if You give here , will have 20% of Rb-87! not that exciting?

Having a very long half-life of 4.75x10 ^ 10 years, used to date objects that are rich in Rubidium, as no metal is a very común.Decae to strontium-87 by Beta -.

If you are interested you can buy this item also its isotope Rb-83 (this does not occur naturally) in
Los Alamos, which is produced by proton bombardment. This has a half-life of 86.2 days, making it highly radioactive. Decays by EC.
I do not know if I will buy even a small amount. I'll ask them.

Ale, I go, I have to stop sailing and my brother and I vult to roll too.

Salu2!