- #1
frankR
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Libby's observation that all the carbon in the world's living cycle is kept uniformly radioactive through the production of C-14 by cosmic radiation led to his development of the radioactive carbon dating method. Samples of carbon in the life cycle have been found to have a disintegration rate of 15.0 disintegrations per gram per minute. Upon death of the living organism, the life cycle ceases and the C-14 in the material decays with a half-life of 5730 years. If an archaeological sample was determined to have a disintegration rate of 0.03 disintegrations per gram per minute, how old is the sample?
This problem is killing me.
So far the real thing I've been able to find is how long the sample has been dead:
t = ln(2 &lambda No)/lambda
No = the initial number of radioactive nuclei
Can I get a hint?
This problem is killing me.
So far the real thing I've been able to find is how long the sample has been dead:
t = ln(2 &lambda No)/lambda
No = the initial number of radioactive nuclei
Can I get a hint?