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5,730 years is the ______________ of the carbon-14 radioisotope.

a. paleomagnetic date
b. numerical age
c. half-life
d. atomic mass unit

1 Answer

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Final answer:

5,730 years is the half-life of carbon-14, which is used in radiometric dating to determine the numerical age of organic artifacts.

Step-by-step explanation:

5,730 years is the half-life of the carbon-14 radioisotope. Carbon-14 dating or radiometric dating utilizes the decay of Carbon-14 (¹4C) to estimate the age of organic materials. Knowing that after 5,730 years, half of the original concentration of Carbon-14 will have decayed back to Nitrogen-14 (¹4N), scientists can determine the time since death of an organism by measuring the remaining Carbon-14. This method of dating is crucial for archaeology and paleontology, offering a numerical age for organic remains such as wood or bones up to about 50,000 years old.

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