The Timeless Mystery of Carbon Dating
How can we estimate the time since death using carbon dating?
Given a sample of carbon with 250 mg mass from wood found in a tomb that underwent 2480 carbon-14 disintegrations in 20 hours, how can we estimate the time since death?
Estimating Time Since Death Using Carbon Dating
To estimate the time since death using carbon dating, we can utilize the concept of radioactive decay. In this case, the carbon-14 isotope undergoes disintegration over time, allowing us to calculate the age of the sample based on the amount of disintegrations it has experienced.
Carbon dating is a widely used technique in archaeology and forensic science to determine the age of organic materials. The process is based on the principle that carbon-14, a radioactive isotope, decays over time at a known rate. By measuring the amount of carbon-14 remaining in a sample and comparing it to the initial amount, scientists can calculate the age of the sample.
In the given scenario, the sample of carbon from wood found in a tomb underwent 2480 carbon-14 disintegrations in 20 hours. By comparing this to the disintegrations of a modern sample in the same time period (1.84 x 10^4 disintegrations), we can estimate the time since death of the organic material.
Using the formula for radioactive decay and logarithmic calculations, we can determine that the time since death of the sample is approximately 5107 years. This calculation showcases the fascinating application of carbon dating in unraveling the mysteries of the past.