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Question

An anthropologist finds bone that her instruments measure it as  0.362% of the amount of Carbon-14 the bones would have contained when the person was alive. How long ago did the person die? 

The half life of carbon 14 is 5,730 years. 

 

Round your answer to the nearest thousand. 

 

 

Answer 1

We need to determine how many times the c14 had "halved" or how many half - lives have occurred.

 

log of the percentage divided by the log of .5 is what we are looking for.

log(.00362) / log (.5) 

8.1098

 

then multiply by the 1/2 life length given: 5730

 

46,469 years

 

if the problem and given a start and end radio count you would need to first determine the percentage.

 

note: changed .362 to correct number .00362 (.362 %)