Question

How old is a sample that contains 87.5% of the daughter isotope Nitrogen-14? *

A. 5730 Years
B. 11460 Years
C. 17190 Years
D. 22920 Years

Answer 1

The age of a sample containing 87.5% of the daughter isotope Nitrogen-14 is approximately 17190 years.

Step-by-step explanation:

The age of a sample can be calculated using the equation: how old (time) = n * t₁/2. In this case, the sample contains 87.5% of the daughter isotope Nitrogen-14, which means that 87.5% of the original parent isotope (Carbon-14) has decayed. Since the half-life of Carbon-14 is 5730 years, we can determine the age of the sample by setting up the following equation:

0.875 = 0.5^(t/5730)

By solving for t, we find that the age of the sample is approximately 17190 years, so the correct answer is C. 17190 Years.