A fossil is found to have $\frac{1}{32}$ $1/32$ of its carbon- 14 remaining. How old is the fossil?

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Answer 1 · 2017-04-09T20:38:54

$5$ $5$ half lifes (half lives?)

$\frac{1}{32} = \frac{1}{2^{5}}$ $1/32 = 1/2^5$ , so the fossil has aged for 5 half lifes.

Assuming the half life is $5, 730$ $5,730$ years, that's $5 \times 7, 730 = 28, 650$ $5 xx 7,730 = 28,650$ years old.

A fossil is found to have 1321/32 of its carbon- 14 remaining. How old is the fossil?