Geological periods isotope dating

In this chapter, we introduced the constituents and structure of the atom and showed that elements typically have several isotopes (same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons). Using the Chart of the Nuclides, we briefly discussed the distribution and stability of the isotopes. Radioactive isotopes were introduced, and we mentioned that they can be used for dating of geological and cosmochemical events. We then discussed the periodic... 

Lead is a member of Group IVB of the periodic table with two oxidation states (Pb and Pb ), but the chemistry of the element is dominated by Pb ion. Lead has four isotopes with three of them being the tdtimate decay products of uranium and and, therefore, widely used in geological dating. The crystal structure of lead in solid form is face-centered cubic (FCC) with a lattice parameter of 4.95 A at 20°C. Lead is a blue-gray metal with density (11.3 g/cm ) 50 % more than that of steel and four times that of aluminum. However, lead is malleable, soft, and melts at only 327°C, and therefore, readily cut and shaped into pipes and sheets since ancient times. 

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