[Campbell Biology P.82] Using the information that the Carbon-14 14C half-life is 5,730 yea... | Practice Question

Using the information that the Carbon-14 14C half-life is 5,730 years and the Neanderthal fossil contains approximately 0.0078 of its original 14C, what is the approximate age of this Neanderthal fossil in years? Round to the nearest thousand .

  • A: 28,000 years
  • B: 34,000 years
  • C: 40,000 years
  • D: 46,000 years

Explanation

From Question 2, we determined that 0.0078 of original 14C remaining corresponds to approximately 7 half-lives. To find the approximate age, multiply the number of half-lives by the half-life period: 7 half-lives 5,730 years/half-life = 40,110 years. Rounding to the nearest thousand gives 40,000 years.