Charcoal taken from the site of an ancient village was found to have a ¹⁴C to ¹²C ratio of one-third that is found in living plant life. Using this data, what is the age of the charcoal sample? The half-life of ¹⁴C is 5730 years.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The age of the charcoal can be calculated using the formula for radioactive decay: N(t) = N0 * (1/2)^(t/T), where N(t) is the current amount, N0 is the initial amount, t is the time elapsed, and T is the half-life. Given that the ratio is one-third, we solve (1/3) = (1/2)^(t/5730) to find t ≈ 9,080 years.

Charcoal Taken from the Site of an Ancient Village Was