The radioactivity due to carbon-14 measured in a piece of a wooden casket from a

Question

The radioactivity due to carbon-14 measured in a piece of a wooden casket from an ancient burial site was found to produce 20 counts per minute from a given sample, whereas the same amount of carbon from a piece of living wood produced 160 counts per minute. The half-life of carbon-14, a beta emitter, is 5730 years. Thus we would estimate the age of the artifact to be aboutPage Ref: Sec. 30.8-30.11)

5,700 years.

11,500 years.

14,800 years.

17,200 years.

23,000 years.

5,700 years.

11,500 years.

14,800 years.

17,200 years.

23,000 years.

Explanation / Answer

160 * 0.5 = 80
80 * 0.5 = 40
40 * 0.5 = 20

So, there were 3 half-lives

5730 * 3 = 17,200 approximately

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