Question

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1)
A marine fossi! was found to contain one-half of its original quantity of carbon-14. According to the Earth
Science Reference Tables, approximately how old is this fossil?

Answer 1

Using carbon dating and the known half-life of carbon-14, a marine fossil containing one-half of its original 14C is approximately 5,730 years old.

Step-by-step explanation:

The age of a fossil can be determined using carbon dating, specifically through the measurement of the ratio of carbon-14 (14C) to carbon-12 (12C). Carbon-14 has a known half-life of 5,730 years. If a marine fossil contains one-half of its original 14C, it implies that one half-life has passed since the organism died.

Therefore, since the half-life of 14C is 5,730 years, and the fossil has undergone one half-life (with half of the original 14C remaining), the marine fossil is approximately 5,730 years old.