A rock contains the radioactive isotope K − 40 that decays with a half-life of 1.3 billion years and the radioactive isotope Rb− 87 that decays with a half-life of 48.6 billion years. The rock is 100 million years old. The rock currently has 1000 times as many Rb− 87 atoms as there are K − 40 atoms. (That is, N Rb= 1000 × N K) When the rock first formed it had M times as many Rb − 87 atoms as L − 40 atoms. (That is, N Rb, 0 = M × N K,0.) What is the value of M?

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A rock contains the radioactive isotope K − 40 that decays with a half-life of 1.3 billion years and the radioactive isotope Rb− 87 that decays with a half-life of 48.6 billion years. The rock is
100 million years old. The rock currently has 1000 times as many Rb− 87 atoms as there are K − 40 atoms. (That is, N Rb= 1000 × N K) When the rock first formed it had M times as many Rb − 87 atoms as L − 40 atoms. (That is, N Rb, 0 = M × N K,0.) What is the value of M?

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