Fossils older than ____ cannot be dated by their 14C content because ____.
A)60,000 years; most of the 14C has decayed by this time
B)12,000 years; half of the 14C has decayed by this time
C)6,000 years; older fossils do not contain carbon
D)2,000 years; most of the 14C has decayed by this time
E)500 years; half of the 14C has decayed by this time

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,700 years, which means that after that time, half of the original amount of carbon-14 has decayed. After about 60,000 years, the amount of carbon-14 remaining in a fossil is typically too small to accurately measure.

Fossils Older Than ____ Cannot Be Dated by Their 14C