An artifact is discovered at a certain site. If it has 53% of the carbon-14 it originally contained, what is the approximate age of the artifact to the nearest year? (carbon-14 decays at the rate of 0.0125% annually.)
A) 2206 yr
B) 4240 yr
C) 5079 yr
D) 3760 yr

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The decay of carbon-14 can be modeled using the formula N(t) = N0 * (1 - 0.000125)^t, where N(t) is the remaining amount of carbon-14, N0 is the initial amount, and t is the time in years. Solving for t when N(t)/N0 = 0.53 gives approximately 5079 years.

An Artifact Is Discovered at a Certain Site