(b) Linen is a cloth made from the flax plant. A recent exhibition included part of a linen shirt,
believed to have belonged to St. Thomas à Becket, who died in 1162. Extracting carbon-14 from the
cloth would allow the age of the shirt to be verified.
If 1 g of carbon-14 extracted from the cloth were to give 870 counts in 1 hour, would it be possible for
the shirt to have once belonged to St. Thomas à Becket? You must show clearly the steps used and
reason for your decision.