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Carbon 14 is formed in atmosferic air when neutrons from cosmic rays collide with nitrogen nuclei in this equation (14/7)N + (1/0)n -------> (14/6)C + (1/1)p This radioactive Carbon formed react whit Oxigen of air forming radioactive Carbon dioxide. This radioactice CO2 is absorbed by vegetals (fotosinteses) and by animals (food). Thus the amount of C14 in animals and vegetals is almost constant because at the same time it is absorbed it too vanishe by Beta decay. (14/6)C -------> (14/7)N + (0/-1) Beta particle Whem the organisme dies, the C14 is not replaced by food or fotosinteses and the amount of this element start decreasing. Knowing the Half-life period of C14 (5.730 years) the scientists can determine the age of a fossil by the relation C14 remaining to the amount existing in a current similar species.

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15y ago
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6mo ago

One of the carbon isotopes, carbon-14, is used for dating because it undergoes radioactive decay at a predictable rate, allowing scientists to estimate the age of materials that contain carbon. By measuring the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 in a sample, scientists can determine how long ago the organism died or the material formed.

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13y ago

Carbon 14 is used for dating things in Archaeology because it is radioactive with a conveniently long radioactive half life, is naturally occurring (produced by cosmic ray interactions in the atmosphere), and is taken up by all living things along with non-radioactive carbon while they are living.

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13y ago

Carbon 14 is used, mainly by archaeologists, to date bones and other formerly living matter but not normally fossils. This is because the half-life of that isotope is 5730 years; it is useful for dating up to 50,000 - 60,000 years but no more. There are many other isotopes of various elements used for dating the strata in which fossils are found.

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13y ago

The radioactive isotope carbon-14 is used in dating.

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12y ago

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Q: Why one of the carbon isotopes is used for dating?
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Example of isotopes?

One example of isotopes is carbon-12 (12C) and carbon-14 (14C). These isotopes have the same number of protons, but different numbers of neutrons. Carbon-12 is stable and commonly found in nature, while carbon-14 is radioactive and used for carbon dating.


What is radiometeic dating?

Radiometric dating is a technique that detects the presence and abundance of radioactive isotopes and is used to give approximate ages of materials. One common form is carbon dating.


Is carbon 14 dating radiometric dating?

Yes, carbon-14 dating is a form of radiometric dating. It relies on measuring the decay of carbon-14 isotopes in organic materials to determine their age.


What of the use of isotopes in archeology?

One would use radioactive isotopes as to measure decay rates in an ancient piece (e.g. rock) to estimate its age. e.g. carbon dating


What are the examples of isotopes?

Some examples of isotopes include Carbon-12, Carbon-13, and Carbon-14. These isotopes have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.


Since radioactive isotopes decay at different rates how is radiocarbon dating of any value in determining how old a fossil is?

Radiocarbon dating is useful for determining the age of organic materials such as fossils because it measures the decay of carbon-14 isotopes. Carbon-14 has a half-life of about 5,730 years, making it suitable for dating organic remains up to around 50,000 years old. By comparing the ratio of carbon-14 to stable carbon isotopes in a sample, scientists can calculate its age.


What is the process of estimating the age of an object using the half life of one or more radioactive isotopes called?

The process of estimating the age of an object using the half-life of one or more radioactive isotopes is called radiometric dating. This technique relies on measuring the amount of parent and daughter isotopes in a sample to calculate how much time has passed since the material was formed.


What are the names of the isotopes of thorium?

The main isotopes of thorium are thorium-232, thorium-230, and thorium-229. Thorium-232 is the most abundant and stable isotope of thorium, while thorium-230 and thorium-229 are radioactive isotopes that undergo decay processes.


What is carbon dating mean?

This is how carbon dating works: Carbon is a naturally abundant element found in the atmosphere, in the earth, in the oceans, and in every living creature. C-12 is by far the most common isotope, while only about one in a trillion carbon atoms is C-14. C-14 is produced in the upper atmosphere when nitrogen-14 (N-14) is altered through the effects of cosmic radiation bombardment (a proton is displaced by a neutron effectively changing the nitrogen atom into a carbon isotope). The new isotope is called


What are carbon 12 carbon 13 carbon 14 are examples of?

isotopes of carbon


List the isotopes used in agriculture?

Isotopes commonly used in agriculture include carbon-14 for carbon dating of soil and organic matter, nitrogen-15 for studying nitrogen uptake in plants, phosphorus-32 for tracing phosphorus movement in soil and plants, and potassium-40 for studying potassium uptake in plants.


How does carbon dating or radioactive dating work and why is it used?

Everything has carbon in it. When the organism dies, it begins to disintegrate. We know the rate at which things disintegrate at, so we can determine how much carbon is left and then apply a scientific formula and figure out how old the organism is. Radioactive dating works much the same.