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Meeeessttteeehh
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Homework Statement
Carbon-14 testing on the body of the Iceman showed that the level of carbon-14 was at 52%. In approximately what year did he die?
Homework Equations
We have been given no equations, and the course work is vague. We have to make charts... (grade 11)
The Attempt at a Solution
I know that carbon-14 has a half-life of 5730 years (which is confusing because my course switches between 6000 and 5730 years...), but I am not sure how to get 52%, and to be completely honest, I am lost when it comes to calculating dates before year 1... If I round to 50% that means he died about 5730 years ago, and our lesson says he was discovered in 1991. I am assuming this carbon dating was done in 1991, so 1991 - 5730 years? That being said, I don't think that 50% is quite specific enough... if I had the "whole life" of carbon-14 I could multiply by 0.52 and that would be the percentage, but since each half-life just divides in half, I don't see it possible for there to ever be zero. (This is like those curves in math that never cross the x-axis?!) Not sure where to go from here, and any help is appreciated!