Question

How do you calculate the half life of carbon 14?

Answer 1

A quick way to calculate Half-Life is to use the expression:

`t_((1)/(2))` = `(0.693)/(lambda)`

Where `lambda` is the decay constant and has the value of

1.21 x `10^(-4) yr^(-1)`

So `t_((1)/(2))=(0.693)/((1 .21).(10^(-4))`

`t_((1)/(2))` = 5.73 x `10^(3) yr`

Let me know if you would like the derivation of this.