In 1991, the frozen remains of a Neolithic-age man, | StudySoup

Textbook Solutions for Physics: Principles with Applications

Chapter 30 Problem 7SL

Question

In 1991 , the frozen remains of a Neolithic-age man, nicknamed Otzi, were found in the Italian Alps by hikers. The body was well preserved, as were his bow, arrows, knife, axe, other tools, and clothing. The date of his death can be determined using carbon-14 dating.

(a) What is the decay constant for \({ }_{6}^{14} C\)?

(b) How many \({ }_{6}^{14} C\) atoms per gram of \({ }_{6}^{12} C\)are there in a living organism?

What is the activity per gram in naturally occurring carbon for a living organism?

For Otzi, the activity per gram of carbon was measured to be \(0.121\). How long ago did he live?

Solution

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The first step in solving 30 problem number trying to solve the problem we have to refer to the textbook question: In 1991 , the frozen remains of a Neolithic-age man, nicknamed Otzi, were found in the Italian Alps by hikers. The body was well preserved, as were his bow, arrows, knife, axe, other tools, and clothing. The date of his death can be determined using carbon-14 dating.(a) What is the decay constant for \({ }_{6}^{14} C\)?(b) How many \({ }_{6}^{14} C\) atoms per gram of \({ }_{6}^{12} C\)are there in a living organism? What is the activity per gram in naturally occurring carbon for a living organism? For Otzi, the activity per gram of carbon was measured to be \(0.121\). How long ago did he live?
From the textbook chapter Nuclear Physics and Radioactivity you will find a few key concepts needed to solve this.

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Title Physics: Principles with Applications 7 
Author Douglas C. Giancoli
ISBN 9780321625922

In 1991, the frozen remains of a Neolithic-age man,

Chapter 30 textbook questions

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