(Chemical Connections 9 A ) The half-life of carbon-14 is 5730 years. The wrapping of an Egyptia

(Chemical Connections 9 A ) The half-life of carbon-14 is...

(Chemical Connections $9 \mathrm{A}$ ) The half-life of carbon-14 is 5730 years. The wrapping of an Egyptian mummy gave off 7.5 counts per minute per gram of carbon. A piece of linen purchased today would give an activity of 15 counts per minute per gram of carbon. How old is the mummy?

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Key Concepts

Decay Constant

The decay constant is a parameter that quantifies the probability per unit time that a given nucleus will decay. It is related to the half-life by the formula ? = ln(2)/half-life. The decay constant is crucial in the exponential decay equation used in radiocarbon dating.

Radiocarbon Dating

Radiocarbon dating is a technique used to determine the age of objects containing organic material by measuring the amount of carbon-14, a radioactive isotope. The method relies on comparing the current activity level of carbon-14 in a sample to its known initial activity, using the known half-life to calculate the time elapsed since the organism's death.

Exponential Decay

Exponential decay describes the process by which a quantity decreases at a rate proportional to its current value. In the context of radioactive decay, this law governs how the number of undecayed nuclei diminishes over time, allowing us to predict the remaining amount after a given period.

Half-life

Half-life is the time required for a quantity undergoing exponential decay to reduce to half of its initial value. It is a fundamental concept in nuclear physics and radioactive decay, indicating how quickly a radioactive substance loses its activity over time.

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