A fossil found in a cave was found to have a Carbon-14 ratio to carbon of 1/ 32 of a live object. If the half life of Carbon-14 is 5730 yrs, how old is the object?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The object is 28,650 years old. This is because the Carbon-14 ratio decreases by half every 5730 years (half-life). A ratio of 1/32 indicates 5 half-lives have passed (since 2^5 = 32), and 5 half-lives * 5730 years/half-life = 28,650 years.

A Fossil Found in a Cave Was Found to Have