Question

Charcoal pieces of tree is found from an archaeological site. the carbon-14 content of this charcoal is only 17.5% that of equivalent sample of carbon from a living tree. what is the age of tree ?

Answer 1

Answer:

The age of tree is 14364 years

Explanation:

Based on the given information, we would set up the following equation:

(1/2)^x=0.175

Taking log on both sides

Then, you would find x:

log(base 0.175)1/2=x

x=2.52

This is the number of half-lives that has passed. Half-life of Carbon C14 is 5700 years, we can use dimensional analysis to get the answer in years:

2.52  x half-lives(5700 years / 1 half-life) = 14364 years

Therefore, the age of tree is 14364 years