Carbon dating Flashcards
How many isotopes of carbon are there?
There are three isotopes of carbon, carbon 12, 13, and 14.
What can carbon-14 be used for?
Organisms that were once alive can be dated using an isotope of carbon, carbon-14.
How is radioactive carbon dioxide be formed?
The carbon-14 reacts with oxygen to form radioactive carbon dioxide, 14CO2.
Describe the process which proves that carbon-14 can be found in all living things.
Plants take in the radioactive carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. When animals eat plants and food, the radioactive carbon passes onto the animals. Carbon-14 then decays by 𝛽-decay. Carbon -14 can be found in all living things.
How are the levels of carbon-14 when living?
When living, the level of carbon-14 always stays constant.
How are the levels of carbon-14 when an organism dies?
Once a living organism dies, the level of carbon-14 will decrease as it is no longer taking in carbon.
What can be worked out using the half life of carbon-14?
Using the half life of carbon-14 it is possible to work out the age of the item.
Why can carbon-14 be used to age ancient materials?
As carbon-14 has a very long half life it can be used to age ancient materials that have come from living things such as wood, leather, bone, etc.
Why can carbon dating not be used to date fossils?
Carbon dating cannot be used to date fossils as there are many millions of years old and require a radioisotope with an even longer half life.
