Radiocarbon dating is a phenomenon by which the age of that object which contains an organic material can be determined by taking the advantage of properties of radiocarbon. Radiocarbon is known to be one of the radioactive isotopes of carbon. The method of radiocarbon dating started back in the late 1940s and it is based on the certainty that C-14 is being formed in the atmosphere continuously due to the interaction of the cosmic rays with nitrogen.
The carbon produced then interacts with the oxygen and leads to the formation of radioactive carbon dioxide. When the carbon decays, it emits β-radiations. Therefore, the radiocarbon is measured by β-counting devices. Radiocarbon dating has been proven quite fruitful for the field of archeology.
In Example 43.9 (Section 43.4), the
One problem in radiocarbon dating of biological samples, especially very old
A bone fragment found in a cave believed to have been inhabited
The radiocarbon in our bodies is one of the naturally occurring sources
Explain how radiocarbon dating works.
