Question

Carbon-14 (14 6C) dating is a method for finding the age of an organic artifact from the quantity of 14 6C it contains. Carbon-14, an unstable isotope of carbon, follows a well-known sequence of decay processes. The decay constants of these processes have been well established, allowing researchers to determine the age of an artifact knowing both the original amount of 14 6C and the current amount.

In the lab, it is relatively easy to measure the activity of a sample and to estimate the mass of carbon in the sample. From these measurements, it is possible to find the age of the sample.

Part A:

An artifact is found in a desert cave. The anthropologists who found this artifact would like to know its age. They find that the present activity of the artifact is 9 decays/s and that the mass of carbon in the artifact is 0.100 kg. What is the age of the artifact? Be mindful of the units. Remember that the fraction of radioactive carbon isotopes in a naturally-occuring sample of carbon is about 1.3×10−12.

Answer 1

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