Radiocarbon+Dating+(C-14)

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**Radiocarbon Dating:**
A technique used for determining the age of organic samples that are less than approximately 35,000 years old. Geologic dating is used to determine the age of fossil wood, carbon and organic material in sediments, charcoal from archaeological sites, coral, and [|foraminifera]. A picture of an archaeological dig:

Radioactive Isotopes involved:

 * Carbon-14** is the radioactive isotope involved in carbon dating. Carbon-14 has a **half-life** of about 5,730 million years.

Decay:

 * Beta decay** is the decay of radioactive isotope carbon-14 (atomic #=6 atomic mass=14) to the stable isotope nitrogen-14 (atomic #=7 atomic mass=14). The equation for the nuclear reaction:

Pros:
Radiocarbon Dating has been really helpful in the scientific field, because it provides the most accurate answer out of all methods of "ancient dating." Until carbon dating was discovered, geologists and other scientists who wanted to know the age of something would have to rely basically on estimation. Dating with carbon-14 was discovered in the late 1940s by an American chemist named Willard Libby. His technique, carbon dating, was used to date the Dead Sea scrolls, to determine the age of the earliest evidence of human beings in North America, and to ascertain the time when the last great Ice Age ended.

Cons:
Carbon dating has been really useful for archaeologists and other scientists because it provides a more accurate answer than previous methods, however it is not completely accurate. The quantity of carbon-14 depends on cosmic-ray activity. Therefore, it is not a constant source, because cosmic-ray activity fluctuates. Also, researchers have to take into account the fact that an object may have a complex history, which would lead to misleading results.



Bibliography:
Kusky, Timothy. "Radiocarbon Dating." //Encyclopedia of Earth Science//. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. //Science Online//. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5&iPin= EOES0070&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 17, 2008).

Rosen, Joe. "Beta Decay." //Encyclopedia of Physics//. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2004. //Science Online//. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5&iPin= EOF0040&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 17, 2008).

Volti, Rudi. "History of Radiocarbon Dating." //The Facts On File Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Society//. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 1999. //Science Online//. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5&iPin= ffests0688&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 17, 2008).