Calculating the Age of a Mummy Shroud Using Carbon Dating - Step by Step Guide

[sanjeevkaushal]

Carbon dating - urgent please help

Homework Statement

a) The cloth shroud of a mummy is found to have a 14C activity of 8.9 dpm g of carbon as opposed to living organisms which undergo 15.2 dpm g of carbon. Given the half –life of 14C is 5730 years what was the age of the shroud in years?

Homework Equations

Dont kno which 1 to use and if did don't kno how to :(

The Attempt at a Solution

Please help as much as possible as I am not to good at radiocarbon dating, thanks

 

[noranne]

In present day, Co is 15.2, which is what it was when the shroud was first made. This value decreases by half every 5730 years, so the formula to use would be $$C_{o} (.5)^\frac{t}{T} = C$$where Co is the initial amount of carbon, C is the amount of carbon after t years, and T is the half life.

 

[malawi_glenn]

Can you please avoid double posting?!?