Question

Measurements of radioactive C-14 isotope in a mammoth's bone showed that only 1/1,024th of the original...

Measurements of radioactive C-14 isotope in a mammoth's bone showed that only 1/1,024th of the original isotope remains today. Since the half-life of C-14 is 5,730 years, the best estimate for the age of this bone is _________ years.

Homework Answers

Answer #1

At any particular time all living organisms have approximately the same ratio of carbon 12 to carbon 14 in their tissues. When an organism dies it ceases to replenish carbon in its tissues and the decay of carbon 14 to nitrogen 14 changes the ratio of carbon 12 to carbon 14. The half-life of a radioactive isotope describes the amount of time that it takes half of the isotope in a sample to decay. In the case of radiocarbon dating, the half-life of carbon 14 is 5,730 years. The age of the fossil can be then determined usng the formula:

t = [ln(n/n0)]/(-0.693)]xhalf life

t=[ln(1/1024)/(-0.693)]x5730

t=57312 years

Know the answer?
Your Answer:

Post as a guest

Your Name:

What's your source?

Earn Coins

Coins can be redeemed for fabulous gifts.

Not the answer you're looking for?
Ask your own homework help question
Similar Questions
Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon. It decays into Nitrogen-14 through beta decay, with a...
Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon. It decays into Nitrogen-14 through beta decay, with a half-life of 5730 years. By comparing the amount of radioactive Carbon-14 with the amount of stable Carbon-12 (the most common isotope of carbon), we can determine the age of an object. a) How many protons and neutrons are in Carbon-14? Carbon-12? b) How many years will it take for an object to lose 87.5% of its Carbon-14? c) If 10000 years have passed, what...
Carbon 14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon, the most common isotope of carbon being carbon...
Carbon 14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon, the most common isotope of carbon being carbon 12. Carbon 14 is created when cosmic ray bombardment changes nitrogen 14 to carbon 14 in the upper atmosphere. The resulting carbon 14 combines with atmospheric oxygen to form radioactive carbon dioxide, which is incorporated into plants by photosynthesis. Animals acquire carbon 14 by eating plants. When an animal or plant dies, it ceases to take on carbon 14, and the amount of isotope...
Given the fact that the lifetime of 14C, the radioactive isotope of carbon, is approximately 8267...
Given the fact that the lifetime of 14C, the radioactive isotope of carbon, is approximately 8267 years, calculate how much time would pass before only 81.1% of the initial amount of the 14C remains. (Note: the lifetime = half life/ln (2) = half life/0.6931. The half life of 14C is 5730 years.) Decay Time (in years):
The following isotope has a half-life of 5,730 years. If we have 8.7×10-4 μμg of sample,...
The following isotope has a half-life of 5,730 years. If we have 8.7×10-4 μμg of sample, how many years will pass until only 29% of the original sample remains. The decay follows first-order kinetics.
Q1. Carbon-14 – or 14C – is a radioactive isotope of carbon with a half-life of...
Q1. Carbon-14 – or 14C – is a radioactive isotope of carbon with a half-life of 5,730 years. It decays into nitrogen-14 – or 14N – , which is a stable isotope of nitrogen. (a) Which of the three nuclear decay processes describes the decay? Explain. (Hint: You can get the atomic number of carbon and nitrogen from a periodic table.) (b) Write down the equation for the decay. (c) What is the decay constant for 14C? All isotopes of...
Radioactive Half-life Years Element A Remaining Radioactive Atoms Element B Remaining Radioactive Atoms Element C Remaining...
Radioactive Half-life Years Element A Remaining Radioactive Atoms Element B Remaining Radioactive Atoms Element C Remaining Radioactive Atoms Element D remaining Radioactive Atoms 0              100 100 100 100 1000 50 85 90 95 2000 25 72 81 90 3000 13 61 73 86 4000 6 52 66 81 5000 3 44 59 77 6000 2 38 53 74 7000 1 32 48 70 8000 0 27 43 66 9000 0 23 39 63 10000 0 20 35 60 11000...
1. Given that a freshly prepared radioactive isotope has a half-life of 10 days, the percentage...
1. Given that a freshly prepared radioactive isotope has a half-life of 10 days, the percentage of it remaining after 30 days is A 30.0 %. B 10.0 %. C 12.5 %. D 72.5 %. 2. During a second half-life, the original material has decayed A 25%. B 50%. C 75%. D 100%.
9. C-14 decays to N-14 by beta emission with a half-life of 5730 years. What is...
9. C-14 decays to N-14 by beta emission with a half-life of 5730 years. What is the age of an artifact that has a ratio of N-14 to C-14 of 15:1? 10. Refer to question 9 above: If an artifact is found to be 34,380 years old, what fraction of the original amount of C-14 isotope in the artifact has decayed?
The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,730 years. An artifact produces 13.3 disintegrations of 14C per minute...
The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,730 years. An artifact produces 13.3 disintegrations of 14C per minute per gram of carbon in the sample. Estimate the age of this sample assuming that its original radioactivity was 15.3 disintegrations per minute per gram of carbon.
Consider (12.5 + A) micro-grams of a radioactive isotope with a mass number of (78 +...
Consider (12.5 + A) micro-grams of a radioactive isotope with a mass number of (78 + B) and a half-life of (32.6 + C) million years. If the energy released in each decay is 32.6 keV, determine the total energy released in joules (J) in 1 (one) year. Give your answer with three significant figures. A=1 B=5 C=11
ADVERTISEMENT
Need Online Homework Help?

Get Answers For Free
Most questions answered within 1 hours.

Ask a Question
ADVERTISEMENT