The half-life of carbon-14 is about 5730 years.Assume that a sample of charcoal formed by burning wood that lived 15,000 years ago.How much of the original carbon-14 would remain today?
A)1/4 to 1/8
B)1/2
C)1/2 to 1/4
D)1/8 to 1/16

Question

The half-life of carbon-14 is about 5730 years.Assume that a sample of charcoal formed by burning wood that lived 15,000 years ago.How much of the original carbon-14 would remain today?
A)1/4 to 1/8
B)>1/2
C)1/2 to 1/4
D)1/8 to 1/16

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

After 15,000 years, which is a little over two half-lives of carbon-14 (2 x 5730 years), the amount of carbon-14 would have halved twice. After the first half-life, half of the original amount remains, and after the second half-life, half of that amount remains, resulting in 1/4 of the original amount. Since 15,000 years is slightly more than two half-lives, the remaining amount would be slightly less than 1/4, making the correct range 1/4 to 1/8.

The Half-Life of Carbon-14 Is About 5730 Years