Radioactive Decay, Age Dating, Geologic Time Assignment

Radioactive Decay, get on Dating, Geologic Time - Assignment ExampleNow use the matches to represent a different hot element (with a different half-life). Write a D on one side of the boxful to indicate daughter isotopes. Place the matches in the box and shake well (up and down, not side to side as the matches will line up with side to side shaking). After shaking (one time step) reassign all matches that point (using the head of the match as the pointing end) toward the end of the box that is indicated by the D. Record the issuing of remaining matches in the box and repeat until nearly all of the matches have been removed. Plot the results on two of the attached graphs. Use a dot for the coins and a plus sign for the matches. Connect the points on your graphs with a smooth line. Your graph should now resemble in shape the curve in Figure I-5. The much coins used, the better will be the resemblance. (The reason for this is that statistics do not apply well to small samples. A n private gambler can never assure how he or she might do on a given try at a slot machine but averaged over many thousands of gamblers, the gambling casino owners are assured of a steady flow of profits.) In the same way, we can never predict just when an individual radioactive atom will decay, but when we are dealing with billions of atoms in rocks (which is invariably the case), we can be assured that the Law of Radioactive Decay is followed very closely. Use both the one-dimensional scale and logarithmic scale graph for the penny and the match info - plot both data sets (pennies and matches) on both graphs.