Potassium-40
Encyclopedia
Potassium-40 is a radioactive isotope of potassium
which has a very long half-life
of 1.248 years, or about 39.38 seconds.
Potassium-40 is a rare example of an isotope which undergoes all three types of beta decay
. About 89.28% of the time, it decays to calcium-40 (40Ca) with emission of a beta particle
(β−, an electron
) with a maximum energy of 1.33 MeV and an antineutrino. About 10.72% of the time it decays to argon-40 (40Ar) by electron capture
, with the emission of a 1.460 MeV gamma ray
and a neutrino
. Very rarely (0.001% of the time) it will decay to 40Ar by emitting a positron
(β+) and a neutrino.
forms — whether from molten rock
, or from substances dissolved in water — it will be initially argon-free, even if there is some argon in the liquid. However, if the mineral contains any potassium, then decay of the 40K isotope present will create fresh argon-40, that will remain locked up in the mineral. Since the rate at which this conversion occurs is known, it is possible to determine the elapsed time since the mineral formed by measuring the ratio of 40K and 40Ar atoms contained in it.
The argon found in Earth's atmosphere is 99.6% 40Ar; whereas the argon in the Sun — and presumably in the primordial material that condensed into the planets — is mostly 36Ar, with less than 15% of 40Ar. It follows that most of the terrestrial argon derives from potassium-40 that decayed into argon-40, which eventually escaped to the atmosphere.
s) continuously throughout the life of the body.
Potassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
which has a very long half-life
Half-life
Half-life, abbreviated t½, is the period of time it takes for the amount of a substance undergoing decay to decrease by half. The name was originally used to describe a characteristic of unstable atoms , but it may apply to any quantity which follows a set-rate decay.The original term, dating to...
of 1.248 years, or about 39.38 seconds.
Potassium-40 is a rare example of an isotope which undergoes all three types of beta decay
Beta decay
In nuclear physics, beta decay is a type of radioactive decay in which a beta particle is emitted from an atom. There are two types of beta decay: beta minus and beta plus. In the case of beta decay that produces an electron emission, it is referred to as beta minus , while in the case of a...
. About 89.28% of the time, it decays to calcium-40 (40Ca) with emission of a beta particle
Beta particle
Beta particles are high-energy, high-speed electrons or positrons emitted by certain types of radioactive nuclei such as potassium-40. The beta particles emitted are a form of ionizing radiation also known as beta rays. The production of beta particles is termed beta decay...
(β−, an electron
Electron
The electron is a subatomic particle with a negative elementary electric charge. It has no known components or substructure; in other words, it is generally thought to be an elementary particle. An electron has a mass that is approximately 1/1836 that of the proton...
) with a maximum energy of 1.33 MeV and an antineutrino. About 10.72% of the time it decays to argon-40 (40Ar) by electron capture
Electron capture
Electron capture is a process in which a proton-rich nuclide absorbs an inner atomic electron and simultaneously emits a neutrino...
, with the emission of a 1.460 MeV gamma ray
Gamma ray
Gamma radiation, also known as gamma rays or hyphenated as gamma-rays and denoted as γ, is electromagnetic radiation of high frequency . Gamma rays are usually naturally produced on Earth by decay of high energy states in atomic nuclei...
and a neutrino
Neutrino
A neutrino is an electrically neutral, weakly interacting elementary subatomic particle with a half-integer spin, chirality and a disputed but small non-zero mass. It is able to pass through ordinary matter almost unaffected...
. Very rarely (0.001% of the time) it will decay to 40Ar by emitting a positron
Positron
The positron or antielectron is the antiparticle or the antimatter counterpart of the electron. The positron has an electric charge of +1e, a spin of ½, and has the same mass as an electron...
(β+) and a neutrino.
Potassium-argon dating
Potassium-40 is especially important in potassium–argon (K-Ar) dating. Argon is a gas that does not ordinarily combine with other elements. So, when a mineralMineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
forms — whether from molten rock
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
, or from substances dissolved in water — it will be initially argon-free, even if there is some argon in the liquid. However, if the mineral contains any potassium, then decay of the 40K isotope present will create fresh argon-40, that will remain locked up in the mineral. Since the rate at which this conversion occurs is known, it is possible to determine the elapsed time since the mineral formed by measuring the ratio of 40K and 40Ar atoms contained in it.
The argon found in Earth's atmosphere is 99.6% 40Ar; whereas the argon in the Sun — and presumably in the primordial material that condensed into the planets — is mostly 36Ar, with less than 15% of 40Ar. It follows that most of the terrestrial argon derives from potassium-40 that decayed into argon-40, which eventually escaped to the atmosphere.
Contribution to natural radioactivity
Potassium-40 is the largest source of natural radioactivity in animals and humans. An adult human body contains about 160 grams of potassium, hence about 0.000117 x 160 = 0.0187 grams of 40K; whose decay produces about 5,000 disintegrations per second (becquerelBecquerel
The becquerel is the SI-derived unit of radioactivity. One Bq is defined as the activity of a quantity of radioactive material in which one nucleus decays per second. The Bq unit is therefore equivalent to an inverse second, s−1...
s) continuously throughout the life of the body.
See also
- Isotopes of potassiumIsotopes of potassiumPotassium has 25 known isotopes from 32K to 56K. Three isotopes occur naturally: stable 39K and 41K , and the long-lived radioisotope 40K . The standard atomic mass is 39.0983 u. Naturally occurring 40K decays to stable 40Ar by electron capture or positron emission...
- Banana equivalent doseBanana equivalent doseA banana equivalent dose is a whimsical unit of radiation exposure, informally defined as the additional dose a person will absorb from eating one banana...
External links
- Potassium 40 Human Health Fact Sheet in Argonne National Laboratory Environmental Science Division, Radiological and Chemical Fact Sheets to Support Health Risk Analyses for Contaminated Areas