A Tree Is Chopped Down and Burned to Produce Ash

A tree is chopped down and burned to produce ash.The carbon isotopes in the ash are found to have a ratio for ¹⁴C to ¹²C of 1.3 * 10^-12.Experimental tests on the ¹⁴C atoms reveal that ¹⁴C is a beta emitter with a half-life of 5730 years.At an archeological excavation,a skeleton is found next to a campfire with some wood ash.If 100 g of carbon from the ash in the campfire emits betas at a rate of 40 per hour,how old is the campfire?

A) 44,000 years
B) 64,000 years
C) 98,000 years
D) 230,000 years
E) 4,500,000 years

Correct Answer:

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