Question

What is an example first order half life problem?

Answer 1

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"`