SOLUTION: Human hair from a grave in Africa proved to have only 85% of the carbon 14 of living tissue. When was the body buried? The half life of carbon 14 is 5730 years. How many years ago

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Question 442233: Human hair from a grave in Africa proved to have only 85% of the carbon 14 of living tissue. When was the body buried? The half life of carbon 14 is 5730 years. How many years ago was the body buried?
Answer by stanbon(75887) About Me  (Show Source):
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Human hair from a grave in Africa proved to have only 85% of the carbon 14 of living tissue. When was the body buried? The half life of carbon 14 is 5730 years. How many years ago was the body buried?
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A(t) = Ao*(1/2)^(t/5730)
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0.85*A0 = Ao(1/2)^(t/5730)
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(1/2)^(t/5730) = 0.85
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(t/5730)*ln(1/2) = ln(0.85)
t/5730 = ln(0.85)/ln(1/2) = 0.2345
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t = 5730*0.2345
t = 1343.49 years
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Cheers,
Stan H.
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