Scientists have analyzed the Dead Sea scrolls by radiocarbon dating and found the activity is about 11.0 dpm per gram of carbon.If carbon-14 has an activity of 15.3 dpm,what is the estimated age of the Dead Sea scrolls? (t1/2 = 5730 years)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using the formula for radiocarbon dating: 
t = (ln(Nf/No))/(0.693*t1/2)
where Nf/No is the ratio of carbon-14 in the sample to the initial amount in a living organism, which is assumed to be 1. 
Plugging in the values given: 
11.0 = (ln(1))/(0.693*5730*t)
t = (ln(1))/(0.693*5730*11.0) = 1996.2 years 
Therefore, the estimated age of the Dead Sea scrolls is approximately 2000 years.

Scientists Have Analyzed the Dead Sea Scrolls by Radiocarbon Dating