With a half-life of 5,730 years, ¹⁴C dating is useful for dating carbon-bearing objects as far back as
A)50,000 years ago.
B)500,000 years ago.
C)5 mya.
D)50 mya.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The formula used for carbon dating is based on the half-life of ¹⁴C, which is 5,730 years. This means that after 5,730 years, half of the original amount of ¹⁴C in a sample will have decayed. After another 5,730 years, half of the remaining ¹⁴C will have decayed, and so on. Given this half-life, carbon dating can be used to accurately date carbon-bearing objects up to approximately 50,000 years ago. Choices B, C, and D are all too far back in time for carbon dating to be useful.

With a Half-Life of 5,730 Years, ¹⁴C Dating Is Useful