C-14 has a half life of 5730 years. Charcoal with a 1/4 of the amount of C-14 as a living tree would have burned how long ago?
2007-11-17 06:00:31 · 5 answers · asked by Macgyver with Crosby 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
It would have burned down 2 half lives ago or 11,460 years ago.
2007-11-17 06:04:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A living tree is always taking in C ,the ratio of C-14 to C-12 is constant until the tree stops living.
If half of the C-14 decomposes in the first half life, then 1/2 of the 1/2 is 1/4 left.
11,460 years has past.
2007-11-17 06:44:06 · answer #2 · answered by science teacher 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1/4 of the original living tree means 2 half lives have already gone past. that is, 1/2 x 1/2 = 1/4.
Thus the tree is worth 2 half lives or 11,460 years old. The tree burned 11, 460 years ago.
2007-11-17 06:05:31 · answer #3 · answered by Aldo 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"half-life" means that half the C-14 decays in that time period, right? So after 5730 years, there's only 1/2 of the C-14 that was there originally. How much longer does it take for more C-14 to decay to get to 1/4 of the original amount?
2007-11-17 06:05:38 · answer #4 · answered by Ralfcoder 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Radioactive decay for a set of atoms might want to be analogously compared to entropy in a thermodynamic gadget. Statistically it isn't achieveable to attraction to close the region of a particular molecule on your thermodynamic gadget, notwithstanding the over all habit of the gasoline or liquid interior of reason straightforward to foretell using mathematical formula, further the speed of deterioration for a unmarried atom is stochastic, notwithstanding the technique in a set of like atoms will develop into predictable. Carbon relationship is actual one of various approaches of radiometric relationship it extremely is used alongside with pleochroic halos and stratigraphic concepts. those a variety of of approaches enable for an extremely narrow probable time window of age. That all of them (those approaches) have a significant tendency to corroborate each and each and every and the different (there some uncommon exceptions) that's absolutely an extremely strong indication that the approaches are sound and hence some distance they have shown honest and virtually perfect. As to the literal counting of one/2 lives, for sure the approaches have not been prevalent or utilized lengthy sufficient to be said as actually ideal, notwithstanding the speed of radioactive decay is properly understood phenomena and has hence some distance shown adequate that that's previous life like dispute.
2016-10-24 09:54:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋