Multiple choice

Which of the following is half life of C-14?

  1. 8000 years

  2. 5000 years

  3. 19000 years

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Carbon-14 has a half-life of approximately 5,730 years, which is commonly rounded to 5,000 years in educational contexts for simplicity. 8,000 years is too long, and 19,000 years is far too long. The half-life is crucial because it determines the dating range (~50,000 years maximum) of radiocarbon dating.

Keep practicing — related questions