Final answer:
The age of the skull can be determined using carbon-14 dating. By comparing the remaining amount of C-14 in the skull to the amount in living tissue, we can estimate its age. In this case, the skull contains 65% of its original amount of C-14, resulting in an estimated age of approximately 1813 years.
Step-by-step explanation:
The age of the skull can be determined using carbon-14 dating. Carbon-14 (C-14) is an isotope that is present in plants and animals, with a known half-life of 5,730 years. When an organism dies, the amount of C-14 in its cells starts to decrease. By comparing the remaining amount of C-14 in the skull to the amount in living tissue, we can estimate its age.
In this case, the skull contains 65% of its original amount of C-14. Since C-14 decreases by half every 5,730 years, we can set up an equation to solve for the age of the skull:
65% = (1/2)^(n/5730)
where n is the number of years.
Taking the logarithm of both sides, we can solve for n:
n = (5730)(log(0.65) / log(0.5)) ≈ 1813 years.
Therefore, the age of the skull is approximately 1813 years.