A living tree contains ¹⁴C (half-life,5730 years)and has a specific activity of 750 counts per hour.A wooden artifact recovered from an archeological site gives a count of 210 counts per hour.The age of this artifact is most nearly

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

We can use the formula for calculating age from specific activity:

Age = (ln(2)/half-life) x (ln(Ra/Rb))

Where Ra is the specific activity of the living tree (750 counts per hour) and Rb is the specific activity of the wooden artifact (210 counts per hour).

Plugging in the values, we get:

Age = (ln(2)/5730) x (ln(750/210))

Age ≈ 10,050 years

Since we are asked for the age most nearly, the answer is C) 10,000 years.

A Living Tree Contains 14C (Half-Life,5730 Years)and Has a Specific

A Living Tree Contains ¹⁴C (Half-Life,5730 Years)and Has a Specific