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The half-life of radioactive material is useful for radioactive dating. For example, All organisms on earth have a given concentration of carbon-14. Since carbon-14 has a half life of 5700 years, scientists can fairly estimate the lifespan of an organism based on its carbon-14 content. This is done by measuring the amount of carbon-14 left from its (previously calculated in a lab) initial amount. If there is exactly a quarter of the initial amount of carbon-14 left in an organism, then it is safe to assume that the organism is 11400 years old. This is why the half-life of a radioactive material is useful for radioactive dating.

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anon

Lvl 10
4y ago

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