Question

The half-life of carbon-14 is approximately 5700 years. An archaeologist unearths a piece of wood that is determined to

have 83% of its carbon-14 remaining. Using carbon-12 dating techniques, approximately how old is the ancient piece of
wood that she located?

Answer 1

The half-life of carbon-14 is approximately 5700 years. Carbon-14 dating is used to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years old. If the carbon-14 to carbon-12 ratio in a wooden object is half of what it is in a living tree, the wooden object is approximately 5730 years old.

Step-by-step explanation:

The half-life of carbon-14 is approximately 5700 years. Carbon-14 dating is used to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years old. When carbon-14 is compared to carbon-12 in a wooden object found in an archaeological dig, the ratio can be used to determine the age of the object. For example, if the carbon-14 to carbon-12 ratio in the wooden object is half of what it is in a living tree, the wooden object is approximately 5730 years old, which is the half-life of carbon-14.