Explain carbon-14 is a radioactive nucleus with a half-life

Reference no: EM13246929

Carbon-14 is a radioactive nucleus with a half-life of 5760 years. Living matter exchanges carbon with its surrounding (for example, through CO2) so that a constant level of 14C is maintained, corresponding to 15.3 decay events per minute. Once living matter has died, carbon contained in the matter is not exchanged with the surroundings, and the amount of 14C that remains in the dead material decreases with the time due to radioactive decay (1st order reaction). Consider a piece of fossilized wood that demonstrates 2.4 14C decay events per minute. How old is the wood? (Hint: ratio of the concentrations = ratio of decay rates)

Reference no: EM13246929

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