if the wood in the bowl contains only 1/16 of its original C-14, then its age is four half-lives of C-14.
(1/2)(1/2)(1/2)(1/2) = 1/16 true
To determine the age of the wood in the bowl based on its C-14 content, we can use the concept of half-life. The half-life of C-14 is approximately 5730 years.
When it is mentioned that the wood in the bowl contains only 1/16 of its original C-14, it means that only 1/16th (or 1/2^4) of the C-14 atoms are still present. This indicates that the remaining C-14 represents four half-lives of decay.
To calculate the age, we need to multiply the half-life by the number of half-lives that have occurred. In this case, since there are four half-lives, we can multiply 5730 years (the half-life) by 4:
5730 years x 4 = 22,920 years.
Therefore, the age of the wood in the bowl would be approximately 22,920 years.