The activity of carbon-14 in a sample of charcoal from an archaeological site is 0.04 Bq. Determine the age of the sample. The half-life of carbon-14 is 5730 years.
A)10 500 yr
B)12 500 yr
C)14 500 yr
D)16 500 yr
E)18 500 yr

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The formula for determining the age of a sample using carbon-14 dating is:

t = (ln(Nf/No) x t1/2) / ln(2)

Where:
t = age of the sample
Nf = activity of carbon-14 in the sample
No = initial activity of carbon-14 in the sample
t1/2 = half-life of carbon-14

Plugging in the values given in the problem, we get:

t = (ln(0.04/1) x 5730) / ln(2)
t ≈ 14,530 years

Therefore, the best choice is C: 14,500 years.

The Activity of Carbon-14 in a Sample of Charcoal from an Archaeological