[Campbell Biology P.82] What is the half-life of Carbon-14 14C and what does it signify in ... | Practice Question

What is the half-life of Carbon-14 14C and what does it signify in the context of radioactive decay dating?

  • A: 5,730 years; it is the time for all 14C to decay.
  • B: 5,730 years; it is the time for half of the 14C in a fossil to decay.
  • C: 14,000 years; it is the maximum age that 14C dating can determine.
  • D: 350,000 years; it is the time Homo sapiens coexisted with Neanderthals.

Explanation

The text explicitly states: 'the half-life of 14C is 5,730 years—in other words, half of the 14C in a fossil decays every 5,730 years.' This defines the concept of half-life and provides the specific value for Carbon-14.