1. Calculating Carbon-14 Decay
ArchaeologistBackground
An archaeologist needs to verify the remaining percentage of Carbon-14 in an organic sample estimated to be 11,460 years old.
Problem
Determine the remaining amount of Carbon-14 after two half-lives (half-life of 5,730 years) starting with an initial amount of 100 units.
How to use
Set the calculation mode to 'Remaining amount after decay', enter 5730 as the half-life, 100 as the initial amount, 11460 as the elapsed time, and select 'Years' as the time unit.
mode: remaining, halfLife: 5730, n0: 100, time: 11460, timeUnit: yearsOutcome
The calculator outputs that 25 units (25% of the initial amount) remain, with 75% of the isotope having decayed.