before 1900 the activity per mass of atmospheric carbon due to the presence of carbon-14 averaged about 0.255bq/g of carbon 1. what fraction of carbon is carbon-14
To determine the fraction of carbon that is carbon-14, we need to know the activity per mass of carbon-12 as well. The ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 activities can help us determine the fraction.
Let's assume that before 1900, the activity per mass of carbon-12 due to its presence averaged about A bq/g of carbon, where A is the activity of carbon-12.
The fraction of carbon-14 (F14) can be expressed as:
F14 = activity of carbon-14 / (activity of carbon-14 + activity of carbon-12)
Given that the activity per mass of atmospheric carbon due to carbon-14 is 0.255 bq/g of carbon, and we assume the activity of carbon-12 is A bq/g of carbon, we have:
F14 = 0.255 / (0.255 + A)
Since F14 represents the fraction of carbon-14, it ranges from 0 to 1.
To determine the fraction of carbon that is carbon-14, we need to compare the activity of carbon-14 to the total activity of carbon in a sample.
The activity per mass of atmospheric carbon due to the presence of carbon-14 is given as 0.255 Bq/g of carbon.
First, let's understand what the term "activity" means in this context. Activity refers to the rate at which a radioactive substance decays, measured in Becquerels (Bq). It represents the number of radioactive decays occurring per second in a given sample.
Now, carbon-14 is an isotope of carbon, meaning it has the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons compared to the most common form of carbon, carbon-12. The fraction of carbon-14 in a sample can be calculated using the following formula:
Fraction of carbon-14 = Activity of carbon-14 / Total activity of carbon
In this case, we are given the activity of carbon-14 as 0.255 Bq/g of carbon. However, we need to know the total activity of carbon to calculate the fraction. Unfortunately, the total activity of carbon is not given in the question.
If we had the total activity of carbon, we could divide the activity of carbon-14 by the total activity to get the fraction. However, without the necessary information, we cannot determine the exact fraction of carbon that is carbon-14 in this scenario.