document.write( "Question 796826: Carbon Dating: The amount of carbon 14 remaining in a sample that originally contained A grams is given by: C(t)=A(0.99879)^t where t is time in years. if tests on a fossilized skull reveal that 99.95% of the carbon 14 has decayed, how old, to the nearest 1,000 years, is the skull? \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #481650 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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Carbon Dating: The amount of carbon 14 remaining in a sample that originally contained A grams is given by: C(t)=A(0.99879)^t where t is time in years. if tests on a fossilized skull reveal that 99.95% of the carbon 14 has decayed, how old, to the nearest 1,000 years, is the skull?
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "let A = 1 and C(t) = 1-.9995 = .0005
\n" ); document.write( "therefore:
\n" ); document.write( "1(.99879)^t = .0005
\n" ); document.write( "using nat logs
\n" ); document.write( "t*ln(.99879) = ln(.0005)
\n" ); document.write( "t = $\"ln%28.0005%29%2Fln%28.99879%29\"$
\n" ); document.write( "t = 6,277.9 ~ 6000 yrs, however this does not seem right since the half-life of Carbon 14 is 5730 yrs, using a radiation decay calc, I got 62,800 yrs for this amt of decay.
\n" ); document.write( "Are you sure this formula is correct? \n" ); document.write( "

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