Question

researchers find a fossil of a large ma

Researchers find a fossil of a large mammal that contains one-sixteenth the amount of carbon-14 that is preset in living organisms. Using carbon-14 dating, about how old is this fossil? Recall that carbon-14 has a half-life 01 5730 years. 11,460 years 17,190 years 22,920 years 91.680 years

Answer 1

C) 22,920 years,

This can be calculated by number of half lives passed.

here 1/16th is remaining, in the first half life 1/2th c-14 will be remaing,

When the second halflive is passed 1/4th C-14 will be remaining

When the third half life is passed 1/8thof C-14 will be remaining

When the fourth half life is passed 1/16th of C-14 will be remaing.

As per given data 1/16th of C-14 was remained , this says that 4 half lives were passed.

half life of C-14 is 5730 years.

Therefore 5730 X 4 = 22920 years.