The half-life of carbon-14 is about 5730 years.Assume that a sample of charcoal formed by burning wood that lived 25,000 years ago.How much of the original carbon-14 would remain today?
A)1/16 to 1/32
B)1/2 to 1/4
C)1/4 to 1/8
D)1/8 to 1/16

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To determine how much carbon-14 remains after 25,000 years, divide the total time by the half-life of carbon-14 (25,000 / 5730 ≈ 4.36). This means the carbon-14 would have gone through about 4 half-lives. After 1 half-life, 1/2 remains; after 2, 1/4; after 3, 1/8; and after 4, 1/16. Therefore, slightly more than 1/16 remains, but less than 1/8, making the closest choice 1/16 to 1/32.

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