Scientists can determine the age of ancient objects by the method of radiocarbon dating. The bombardment of the upper atmosphere by cosmic rays converts nitrogen to a radioactive isotope of carbon, 14C, with a half-life of about 5730 years. Vegetation absorbs carbon dioxide through the atmosphere and animal life assimilates 14C through food chains. When a plant or animal dies, it stops replacing its carbon and the amount of C begins to decrease through radioactive decay. Therefore the level of radioactivity must also decay exponentially. A parchment fragment was discovered that had about 74% as much 14C radioactivity as does plant material on the earth today. Estimate the age of the parchment.

Suppose we have a set of small wooden blocks showing the 26 letters of the english alphabet, one letter per block. (think of scrabble tiles.) our set includes 10 copies of each letter. we place them into a bag and draw out one block at a time. (a) if we line up the letters on a rack as we draw them, how different ways coukl we fill a rack of 5 letters? (b) now suppose we just toss our chosen blocks into a pile, and whenever we draw a letter we already have, we put it back in the bag and draw again. how many different piles of 5 blocks could result? possible? piles will contain at least one repeated letter? (c) if we draw out 5 blocks wit hout looking at them, how many different piles are (d) if we draw out 5 blocks without looking at them, how many of the possible 2. (4) consider the following formula. 12 give two different proofs, one using the factorial formulas and the other combina torial.