A tiny percent of all naturally-occurring carbon atoms on Earth are carbon-14. Trees (and all living things) incorporate C-14 into their bodies when alive, but this ceases at death, after which the amount of C-14 present gradually decreases due to nuclear decay. Wooden artifacts from long ago can be dated by the percent of carbon-14 remaining in them. A sample of a wooden object from an archaeological site contains only 12.5% of the level of carbon-14 expected for a live tree. How many half-lives have passed since that piece of wood was a living tree?
A tiny percent of all naturally-occurring carbon atoms on Earth are carbon-14. Trees (and all living things) incorporate C-14 into their bodies when alive, but this ceases at death, after which the amount of C-14 present gradually decreases due to nuclear decay. Wooden artifacts from long ago can be dated by the percent of carbon-14 remaining in them. A sample of a wooden object from an archaeological site contains only 12.5% of the level of carbon-14 expected for a live tree. How many half-lives have passed since that piece of wood was a living tree?
Chemistry for Engineering Students
4th Edition
ISBN:9781337398909
Author:Lawrence S. Brown, Tom Holme
Publisher:Lawrence S. Brown, Tom Holme
Chapter14: Nuclear Chemistry
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 14.82PAE
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A tiny percent of all naturally-occurring carbon atoms on Earth are carbon-14. Trees (and all living things) incorporate C-14 into their bodies when alive, but this ceases at death, after which the amount of C-14 present gradually decreases due to nuclear decay. Wooden artifacts from long ago can be dated by the percent of carbon-14 remaining in them. A sample of a wooden object from an archaeological site contains only 12.5% of the level of carbon-14 expected for a live tree. How many half-lives have passed since that piece of wood was a living tree?
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