A fossilized leaf contains 24% of its normal amount of carbon 14. how old is the fossil (to the nearest year) ? use 5600 years as the half-life of carbon 14.

Question

Yesenia Wallace

Chemistry

6 July, 02:45

A fossilized leaf contains 24% of its normal amount of carbon 14. how old is the fossil (to the nearest year) ? use 5600 years as the half-life of carbon 14.

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Philip Archer · Answer 1

The Half life is the time taken for a radioisotope or a radioactive substance to decay by half its original amount. The half life of carbon 14 is 5600 years.

Original mass is 100%

Remaining amount is 24%

Therefore; 0.24 = 1 * (1/2) ^n

n = log 0.24/log 0.5

= 2.06

therefore, the age of the fossil is 5600*2.06

= 11529.8

≈ 11529 years