The number of carbon-14 atoms in a fossil sample can be determined using its half-life. Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5730 years, so you can divide the original number by 2 for each half-life that has passed.
In a radioactive dating process called carbon-14 dating, the number of carbon-14 atoms in a fossil sample can be determined using its half-life.
Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5730 years, which means that after 5730 years, half of the original carbon-14 will have decayed.
To calculate the number of carbon-14 atoms in a fossil sample, divide the original number by 2 for each half-life that has passed.
If the original number of carbon-14 atoms is 1,000,000 and the half-life is 5730 years, after 1 half-life there will be 500,000 carbon-14 atoms left, after 2 half-lives there will be 250,000 carbon-14 atoms left, and so on.