14C is produced in the upper atmosphere by cosmic rays. Living organisms uptake

Question

14C is produced in the upper atmosphere by cosmic rays. Living organisms uptake 14C. Assume we isolate the same quantity of 14C from a 1000 year old fossil and from a recently harvested tomato. We monitor the decay of these quantities.

A. The carbon islated from the tomato plant will have more decays per second that the carbon isolated from the fossil B. The two samples will have approximately the same number of decays per second.

C. The carbon isolated from the fossil will have more decays per second that the carbon isolated from the tomato plant. D. It is impossible to compare the decay rates, since nuclear decay is a random process.

Explanation / Answer

In upper atmosphere, due to decay 14N, 14C got produced.

So decay rate for the carbon in living organisim such as tomoto plant will more than isolated fossile.

So answer (A) is correct choice,

Here,

N= No*e^-lambda*t

here t is lot less for living organism compares to 100 years.

So decay is higher in tomato plant.

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