Carbon dating and its uses

Dating > Carbon dating and its uses

Willard Libby developed radiocarbon dating as a method to measure radioactivity. Carbon-14 is a weakly radioactive isotope of Carbon; also known as radiocarbon, it is an isotopic chronometer. Radiocarbon dating is only applicable to organic and some inorganic materials not applicable to metals. Carbon dating is a variety of radioactive dating which is applicable only to matter which was once living and presumed to be in equilibrium with lts atmosphere, taking in carbon dioxide from the air for photosynthesis. Radiocarbon dating or in general radioisotopic dating method is used for estimating the age of old archaeological samples. For example, age of the carbon dating and its uses, moon, rocks, and mineral deposits can be determined by using the principle of radioisotopic dating. This technique was developed by Williard Libby. He was awarded Nobel Prize for this work. In the upper atmosphere, nitrogen 147N is bombarded by cosmic ray to produce 146C : 146C is a radioactive isotope of carbon. As a result, the concentration of 146C in it starts snd />The half-life of a 146C is 5760 years. Thus, in 5760 years, the concentration of 146C is lowered to half 50% of its initial concentration, and yses another 5760 years, its concentration gets lowered to 25 % 50% of the 50% of the initial concentration. Thus in 11,520 years aand 146C concentration is reduced to one fourth of its initial concentration. Thus, by measuring the concentration of 146C in a dead carbon-containing object, and knowing the kses of 146C in a living plant, were can estimate the age of the object the age of the object means the number of years ago when plant should have diedby using uess formula. Estimating the age of a carbon-containing object by measuring the concentration or activity of 146C in it, is called radiocarbon dating.

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