Carbon-14 has a half-life of approximately 5,730 years. This means that after one half-life, half of the original amount of carbon-14 will remain.
In this case, the fossil originally contained 254 grams of carbon-14. After one half-life, it would contain:
\[ \text{After 1 half-life: } \frac{254 \text{ grams}}{2} = 127 \text{ grams} \]
Since the fossil currently contains 127 grams of carbon-14, it indicates that one half-life has passed.
Therefore, the age of the fossil is approximately 5,730 years old.
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