An archaeologist discovers a fossil with a carbon-14 activity of 7.5 dpm per gram of carbon.If carbon-14 has an activity of 15.3 dpm,what is the estimated age of the fossil? (t1/2 = 5730 years)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The formula for calculating the age of a fossil using carbon dating is:

t = (ln(Nf/N0) / -0.693) x t1/2

where:
t = age of the fossil
Nf = the measured activity of the sample
N0 = the initial activity of the sample (assumed to be the same as modern carbon-14 levels)
t1/2 = half-life of carbon-14

Plugging in the values given:

t = (ln(7.5/15.3) / -0.693) x 5730
t ≈ 5730 years

Therefore, the estimated age of the fossil is approximately 5700 years. The best answer choice is C.

An Archaeologist Discovers a Fossil with a Carbon-14 Activity of 7.5