Question

If 12.5% of a Carbon-14 sample remain...

a. How many
half-lives have gone by?

b. How old is the sample?

Answer 1

The half-life of carbon-14 is 5730 years. Therefore, after 1 half-life there is 50% = 1 2 of the original amounts left. 2 half-lives there is 25% = 1 4 of the original amounts left. 3 half-lives there is 12.5% = 1 8 of the original amounts left.

Step-by-step explanation: