Carbon-14 measurements on the linen wrappings from the Book of Isaiah on the Dead Sea Scrolls indicated that the scrolls contained about 79.5% of the carbon-14 found in living tissue. Approximately how old are these scrolls? The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,730 years.

Question

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The age of the scrolls can be calculated using the formula for radioactive decay: N(t) = N0 * (1/2)^(t/T), where N(t) is the remaining amount of carbon-14, N0 is the initial amount, t is the time elapsed, and T is the half-life. Solving for t when N(t)/N0 = 0.795 and T = 5730 years gives approximately 1,900 years.

Carbon-14 Measurements on the Linen Wrappings from the Book of Isaiah