SOLUTION: An Egyptian mummy is discovered in which the amount of Carbon-14 present is only about twentynine fiftieths the amount found in living human beings. a. Using the half-life of Carbo

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Question 1161523: An Egyptian mummy is discovered in which the amount of Carbon-14 present is only about twentynine fiftieths the amount found in living human beings. a. Using the half-life of Carbon-14, determine the decay constant for Carbon-14 (answer in decimal form and scientific notation, accurate to the tenth decimal place)? b. About how long ago did the Egyptian die? c. If this is a royal tomb, which Pharaoh is in the sarcophagus? Which dynasty and regnal years are recorded for this Pharaoh?
Answer by josgarithmetic(39617) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
You could try a model like
A, amount at time x
p, initial amount if x is 0
x, time passage in years
5730, the half-life of Carbon-14, in years
A=p%281%2F2%29%5E%28x%2F5730%29

Question part (a) for "decay constant", more like A=pe%5E%28-kx%29
1%2F2=e%5E%28-5730k%29
ln%281%2F2%29=-5730k
-ln%282%29=-5730k
k=ln%282%29%2F5730
highlight_green%28k=0.0001210%29
(To the "tenth" decimal place makes no sense in the given example.)


Part (b):

Either model can be used.
system%28p=1%2CA=29%2F50%29
%281%2F2%29%5E%28x%2F5730%29=29%2F50
%28x%2F5730%29%2Alog%28%281%2F2%29%29=log%28%2829%29%29-log%28%2850%29%29
x=%285730%2Flog%28%281%2F2%29%29%29%28log%28%2829%29%29-log%28%2850%29%29%29-------evaluate this.
( 4500 years ago)