A bone is dug up and analyzed and found to contain 1/16-- one sixteenth-- of the amount of ¹⁴C radioactivity of normal bones in living bodies. The half- life of ¹⁴C is 6000 years. Roughly how long has the individual been dead? A) 24, 000 years B) 30,000 years C) 6000 years D) 36,000 years E) Impossible to tell from the given information.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The bone contains 1/16 of the original ¹⁴C, which means it has gone through 4 half-lives (since 1/16 = (1/2)^4). Each half-life is 6000 years, so 4 half-lives is 24,000 years.

A Bone Is Dug Up and Analyzed and Found to Contain