The age of water or wine may be determined by measuring its radioactive tritium content. Tritium is formed via cosmic radiation of water in the upper atmosphere and decays spontaneously by a first-order process with a half-life of 12.5 years. Suppose that a wine vendor sells a certain wine for which he desires a premium price. The tritium content of this wine is found to be only 10% as radioactive as a newly bottled specimen.
Determine the rate constant (in 1/y) for the decay of tritium. Write the unit as well.
(b) How many years ago was the wine in question bottled?
Age of wine: Is the wine indeed a "vintage wine" (age of wine exceeds 25 years)? Yes or No.