An ancient parchment has a activity of

CHEMISTRY · Single correct · US High School · Chemistry · Atomic Structure & Nuclear · Atomic Structure & Nuclear

Problem

An ancient parchment has a

^{14}\text C

activity of

3.0\,\text{disintegrations\,min}^{-1}\,\text{g}^{-1}

, whereas freshly cut wood shows

15.0\,\text{disintegrations\,min}^{-1}\,\text{g}^{-1}

. Taking the half-life of

^{14}\text C

5730\,

years and using

\ln 5 = 1.609

and

\ln 10 = 2.303

, the age of the parchment is closest to (a)

1.15\times10^{4}\,\text{years}

(b)

1.33\times10^{4}\,\text{years}

(c)

5.8\times10^{3}\,\text{years}

(d)

2.87\times10^{4}\,\text{years}