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assassinsdoc
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Why c - 14 is radio active though n/p ratio is less than 1.5?
Lead-207 is (experimentally1) stable with 82 protons and 125 neutrons, 125/82=1.524.dauto said:Do not confuse the statement "There are no stable nuclei with n/p > 1.5" with the statement "All unstable nuclei have n/p > 1.5". See the difference? The first one is true. The second one most definitely isn't.
mfb said:Lead-207 is (experimentally1) stable with 82 protons and 125 neutrons, 125/82=1.524.
There are a few other examples, see the linked list.
Carbon-14 (C-14) is radioactive because it has an unstable nucleus, meaning it has an imbalance of protons and neutrons. This makes it prone to decay and release radiation.
The N/P (neutron-to-proton) ratio of an element is determined by the number of neutrons and protons in its nucleus. C-14 has a low N/P ratio because it has 6 protons and 8 neutrons, resulting in a ratio of 4:3.
The low N/P ratio of C-14 makes it unstable and more likely to undergo radioactive decay. This is because the imbalance of protons and neutrons in the nucleus creates a greater likelihood for the release of radiation.
The half-life of an element is the time it takes for half of the atoms in a sample to undergo radioactive decay. C-14 has a half-life of approximately 5,730 years because it is unstable and constantly decays into more stable elements over time.
C-14 is used in radiocarbon dating because it is constantly being replenished in the Earth's atmosphere through cosmic rays. As living organisms absorb C-14 through the food chain, the ratio of C-14 to stable carbon isotopes remains constant. After an organism dies, the C-14 in its body begins to decay at a predictable rate, allowing scientists to determine its age through radiocarbon dating.