SOLUTION: A piece of charcoal is found to contain 39​% of the element B that it originally had. ​(a) When did the tree from which the charcoal came​ die? Use 5800 years as the​ half

Algebra.Com
Question 1157061: A piece of charcoal is found to contain 39​% of the element B that it originally had.
​(a) When did the tree from which the charcoal came​ die? Use 5800 years as the​ half-life of the element B.
​(b) Using a graphing​ utility, graph the relation between the percentage of the element B remaining and time.
​(c) Using​ INTERSECT, determine the time that elapses until half of the the element B remains.
​(d) Verify the answer found in part ​(a).

Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A piece of charcoal is found to contain 39​% of the element B that it originally had.
Use the radioactive decay formula: A = Ao*2^(-t/h), where
A = resulting amt after t time
Ao = initial amt
t = time of decay
h = half life of substance
:
​(a) When did the tree from which the charcoal came​ die?
Use 5800 years as the​ half-life of the element B.
Assuming initial amt is 1
2^(-t/5800) = .39
ln(2) = ln(.39)
=
= -1.35845
t = -5800 * -1.3845
t = 7879 yrs
:
​(b) Using a graphing​ utility, graph the relation between the percentage of the
element B remaining and time.
the equation for this: y = 100*2^(-x/5800)

:
​(c) Using​ INTERSECT, determine the time that elapses until half of the the
element B remains. Did that
:
​(d) Verify the answer found in part ​(a). confirmed, entered 7879 and got 39

RELATED QUESTIONS

A piece of charcoal is found to contain 30% of the carbon 14 that it originally had. When (answered by Theo)
A piece of charcoal is found to contain 39​% of the element B that it originally had.... (answered by josgarithmetic)
The​ half-life of​ carbon-14 is 5600 years. If a piece of charcoal made from the wood (answered by ikleyn)
Carbon 14 dating assumes that the carbon dioxide on Earth today has the same radioactive... (answered by stanbon)
When organisms die, the amount of carbon-14 in its system starts to decrease. The... (answered by ikleyn)
The​ half-life of​ carbon-14 is 5600 years. If a piece of charcoal made from... (answered by MathLover1)
Brody is cutting a long piece of rope in the garage with his dad... (answered by richwmiller)
a piece of bone from an organism is found to contain 10% of the carbon- 14 that it... (answered by scott8148)
Lightning hit a tree three-eights of the distance up the trunk from the ground and broke... (answered by Earlsdon)