If a fossil bone is found to contain 1/32 as much Carbon-14 as the bone of a living animal,what is the approximate age of the fossil? (half-life of ¹⁴C = 5 730 years) A)1.83E+5 years B)2.87E+4 years C)1.15E+3 years D)5.55E+3 years E)1.79E+2 years

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fossil contains 1/32 of the original Carbon-14, which means it has gone through 5 half-lives (since 2^5 = 32). Each half-life is 5,730 years, so the age of the fossil is 5 x 5,730 = 28,650 years, which is approximately 2.87E+4 years.

If a Fossil Bone Is Found to Contain 1/32 as Much