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clarification on radioactive decay
# Calculate the difference between the two lengths.
# Calculate the difference between the two lengths.
# Calculate how long it would need to burn in order to burn that length.
# Calculate how long it would need to burn in order to burn that length.
Note: A candle decays (burns) at a linear rate. If one half is consumed in one hour, the remaining half will burn in one hour also. Radioactive elements decay exponentially. After one half decays, the remainder will still require the same time to decay to half that amount, and the same for the next half.
For most radiometric dating methods, one radioactive element changes by a process of nuclear decay into another element (often through a number of intermediate steps). For example, [[uranium]] will eventually decay into [[lead]]. So to measure how old a specimen containing some uranium and some lead is, the following steps are required:
For most radiometric dating methods, one radioactive element changes by a process of nuclear decay into another element (often through a number of intermediate steps). For example, [[uranium]] will eventually decay into [[lead]]. So to measure how old a specimen containing some uranium and some lead is, the following steps are required: