Carbon Dating Presumes That, as Long as a Plant or Animal

question 34

Multiple Choice

Carbon dating presumes that, as long as a plant or animal is alive, the proportion of its carbon that is ¹⁴C is constant. The amount of ¹⁴C in an object made from harvested plants, like paper, will decline exponentially according to the equation , where A represents the amount of ¹⁴C in the object, A_o represents the amount of ¹⁴C in living organisms, and t is the time in years since the plant was harvested. If an archeological artifact has 40% as much ¹⁴C as a living organism, how old would you predict it to be? Round to the nearest year.

• A) 5715 years
• B) 30,411 years
• C) 87 years
• D) 7554 years
• E) 16,006 years

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Definitions:

Deductively

An approach to reasoning or problem-solving that starts with a general theory or premise and moves towards a specific conclusion.

Inductively

A reasoning approach that starts with specific observations or sets of data and then works towards forming general conclusions or theories.

Ethos

A rhetorical strategy that establishes credibility and trustworthiness of the speaker or writer with the audience.

Pathos

A term referring to an appeal to emotion in rhetoric or persuasive communication.