An archaeologist graduate student found a leg bone of a large animal during the building of a new science building. The bone had a carbon-14 decay rate of 13.6 disintegrations per minute per gram of carbon. Living organisms have a decay rate of 15.3 disintegrations per minute. How many years ago did death occur for the animal

981 .52 years

Explanation:

According to the first order kinetics for radioactive decay, the rate constant is given as

k = ㏑

making t subject formulae becomes

t= ㏑

but K = 0.693/ t1/2

using the half life,  t 1/2 for carbon 14 = 5730 years since not given

therefore k = 0.693/ 5730 y

1.2 x 10 ^-4y-1

Bringing back our equation becomes

t= ㏑

where initial activity = 15.3 disintegrations per minute per gram for living organsism

and final activity=  13.6 disintegrations per minute per gram for leg bone

t = 1/1.2 x 10^-4y-1 ㏑( 15.3/ 13.6)

=981 .52years

The age of the leg bone is 981.52 years

1. loamy sand is about 80% sand with 10% clay and defined mostly by sand particles with some clay to provide structure and fertility. the sand particles are easily visible and the soil holds structure but breaks apart easily.

2. scott sand can improve his soil quality by incorporating more silt and organic matter into the soil. peat moss and organic matter can also be incorporated.