EX: The half-life of the carbon 14 isotope is 5730 years. If there were 4 billion atoms of C14 in a particular organism at the time it died, how many atoms of C14 would there be in the remains of that organism 11,460 years after it died?
2007-07-23 18:05:00 · 2 answers · asked by noname 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
oppss I notice that I asked this question in the wrong forum....
2007-07-23 18:16:16 · update #1
well it takes 5730 years to reduce the 4 billion to half, which leaves 2 billion, after another 5730 years you cut that number in half, leaving you with 1 billion.
2007-07-23 21:16:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The half life is 5730 Yr.s
The time in question is 11,460 yr.s.
11460/5720 = 2
1/2 to the second power, (1/2 * 1/2 )= 1/4
1/4 * 4 Bil. = 1 Bil.
(If the division doesn't come out even the math gets a bit more complicated but you get the idea .)
2007-07-25 01:23:21 · answer #2 · answered by Irv S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋