Problema Solution
A scientist determined that the bones from a mastodon had lost
63.963.9%
of their carbon-14. How old were the bones at the time they were discovered?
Answer provided by our tutors
We will use the exponential decay model for carbon-14:
A=Ao e^-0.000121t
A = Ao(1 - 0.639639)
A = 0.360361Ao
Ao e^-0.000121t = 0.360361Ao divide both sides by Ao
e^-0.000121t = 0.360361
-0.000121t = ln(0.360361)
t = (-1/0.000121)ln(0.360361)
t = 8435.12 years
The bones were 8435.12 years old.