Given:
Two particles with respective half-lives 1620 and 810 years.
According to the law of Rutherford - Soddy the number of atoms left after n number of Half-life is:
\(N=N_{0}\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^{n}\). Where \(\mathrm{N}_{0}\) is the original number of atoms.
The number of half-lives \(n=\frac{\text { time of deccay }}{\text { effective half } \text { life }}\)
The relation between effective disintegration constant \(\lambda\) and half life \(T\) is:
\(\lambda=\frac{\log_{ e}2}{T}\)
Now, \(\lambda_{1}+\lambda_{2}=\frac{\log_{ e}2}{T_{1}}+\frac{\log_{ e}2}{T_{2}}\)
The effective half-life is:
\(\frac{1}{T}=\frac{1}{T_{1}}+\frac{1}{T_{2}} \)
\(=\frac{1}{1620}+\frac{1}{810} \)
\(=\frac{1+2}{1620} \)
\(\Rightarrow T=540\)
Therefore, the number of half-lives is,
\(n=\frac{\text { time of deccay }}{\text { effective half }\operatorname{life}} \)
\(n=\frac{t}{540}\)
\(N=N_{0}\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^{n}\)
Put the value of \(n\) in above equation:
\(\frac{N}{N_{0}}=\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^{n}=\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^{\frac{t}{540}} \)
Now according to the question,
\(\frac{N}{N_{0}}=\frac{1}{4}\)
\(\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^{2}=\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^{\frac{t}{540}} \)
On comparing the power of both sides,
\(2=\frac{t}{540} \)
\(t=1080\)
Therefore, the time in years, after which one-fourth of the material remains is 1080 years.
Hence, the correct option is (A).