The complete uranium-238 decay chain has a half-life of approximately
A) 5,700 years
B) 4.5 billion years
C) 7 hours
D) 4 days
E) 247,000 years

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Uranium-238 undergoes alpha decay, resulting in the production of thorium-234 which further undergoes alpha decay to produce protactinium-234. This chain continues until the stable isotope of lead-206 is produced. The half-life of uranium-238 is approximately 4.5 billion years, which is why it is used for radiometric dating of rocks and minerals.

The Complete Uranium-238 Decay Chain Has a Half-Life of Approximately