By measuring the amount of carbon- 14 in an object, a paleontologist can determine its approximate age. The amount of carbon- 14 in an object is given by y=a e⁻⁰.⁰⁰⁰¹²t , where a is the amount of carbon-14 originally in the object, and t is the age of the object in years. In 2003, a bone believed to be from a dire wolf was found at the La Brea Tar Pits. The bone contains 14 % of its original carbon-14. How old is the bone?
- What numbers should you substitute for y and n ?
- What properties of logarithms and exponents can you use to solve the equation?