With a half-life of 5,730 years,14C dating is useful for dating carbonbearing 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 half-life of 14C is 5,730 years, which means that after 5,730 years, half of the original amount of 14C in a sample will have decayed. Therefore, after about 50,000 years, there is too little 14C left in a sample to be reliably measured, which is why 14C dating is generally only useful for dating carbon-bearing objects up to about 50,000 years old. Thus, Choice A is the best choice. Choice B and C are incorrect, as 14C dating is not useful for dating objects that are hundreds of thousands or millions of years old. Choice D is even further off, as it implies that 14C dating might be useful for dating objects that are tens of millions of years old, which is not the case.

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