Unit 3: Use of short-lived isotopes Flashcards
1
Q
What is radiocarbon dating used for?
A
Radiocarbon dating is the most widely used form of isotope dating.
2
Q
What is the Carbon-14 half-life of 5,730 +-40 years useful for?
A
It is excellent at dating fossils and archaeological items that are between 500-50,000 years old.
3
Q
When can the bomb pulse dating method be used?
A
It can be used to accurately date short periods (post-1960s) but only for specific applications like human tissue.
4
Q
What did Stuart Black find out?
A
- He found that using isotopes with shorter half-lives than Carbon-14 can be more helpful to date more recent remains.
- Lead-210, 22.3 years half-life
- Polonium-210, 138 day half-life
