Carbon-14 half-life graph

An example figure from the Half-Life Graph generator.

Decay curve of carbon-14, percent remaining against time in years, with dashed guide lines at 5,730, 11,460 and 17,190 years — The percent of carbon-14 remaining against time in years, from 100% at the start, on an axis numbered every 4,000 years up to 30,000. Dashed guide lines run from 50%, 25% and 12.5% across to the curve and down to the time axis, each labeled with its time: 5,730, 11,460 and 17,190 years, one, two and three half-lives.

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Answer key

Carbon-14: half-life 5,730 years, λ = 1.21 × 10⁻⁴ per year; beta decay to nitrogen-14
After 1 half-life (5,730 years): 50%
After 2 half-lives (11,460 years): 25%
After 3 half-lives (17,190 years): 12.5%

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