Question

C-14 has a half life of 5730 years, an artifact gives 4 counts per minute on a detector, living matter gives a count of 32. What is the estimated age of the artifact?

Answer 1

17188 years

Step-by-step explanation:

Given that;

0.693/t1/2 = 2.303/t log (Ao/A)

Where;

t1/2 = half life of carbon -14

t = time taken

Ao = activity of a living sample

A activity of the artifact

0.693/5730 = 2.303/t log (32/4)

1.21 * 10^-4 = 2.303/t * 0.9031

1.21 * 10^-4 = 2.0798/t

t = 2.0798/1.21 * 10^-4

t = 17188 years