Glenn Elert
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The Physics Factbook™
Edited by Glenn Elert -- Written by his students
An educational, Fair Use website
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| Bibliographic Entry | Result (w/surrounding text) | Standardized Result |
|---|---|---|
| Cutnell, John D., & Johnson, Kenneth W. Physics. 3rd ed. New York: Wiley, 1995: 994. | "Isotope Carbon-14 Half-life 5.73 × 103 yr" | 5,730 yr |
| World Book Encyclopedia. Q-R. Vol. 16. New York: World Book, 1996. | "Half the radiocarbon in an object decays about every 5,700 years" | 5,700 yr |
| Friedman, Gerald M. "Sinai Peninsula: Geology Illuminates Biblical Events." Geotimes. 1992: 18-20. | "… radiocarbon … 'young' shells (5,700 years ago)" | 5,700 yr |
| Hindle, Brook. The Frontiers of Knowledge. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1975: 327. | "radiocarbon with a half life of 5,730 years" | 5,730 yr |
| Nachtrieb, Norman H. & David W. Oxtoby, Principles of Modern Chemistry. 3rd ed. USA: Saunders College Publishing. | "Nuclide C-14 t(½) 5730 years" | 5,730 yr |
In the search for the value of the half life of carbon 14, also known as radiocarbon,I looked in two textbooks -- one of Chemistry and one of Physics (both of whichare very current), an encyclopedia, a technical magazine article, and a reallyold book from the nineteen seventies. Convincingly, all the sources containedthe same value, with only a difference in significant digits. Sources with a valueof 5,700 years were stating an approximate value, using the word "about".The charts in the textbooks had a value of 5,730 years, which is the sameas the other value, but with three significant digits instead if two. These collegetextbooks generally use standard values.
In conclusion of my research, I can tell you that the standard value for thehalf life of Carbon-14, or radiocarbon, is 5,730 years.
Margaret Kong -- 1997
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