Carbo Dating
Carbon dating (Radiocarbon dating) is a technique used to determine the age of ancient organic materials (like wood, bones, shells, and cloth) up to about 50,000 years old. It is based on the decay of Carbon-14 (¹⁴C), a radioactive isotope of carbon. How Carbon Dating Works: 1. Formation of Carbon-14 In the upper atmosphere, cosmic rays convert Nitrogen-14 (¹⁴N) into Carbon-14 (¹⁴C). This ¹⁴C mixes with Carbon-12 (¹²C) and Carbon-13 (¹³C) in the atmosphere. 2. Absorption by Living Organisms Plants absorb ¹⁴C during photosynthesis. Animals and humans consume plants, incorporating ¹⁴C into their bodies. 3. Decay After Death When an organism dies, it stops absorbing ¹⁴C. The ¹⁴C in its body starts decaying into Nitrogen-14 (¹⁴N) at a fixed rate. 4. Half-Life of Carbon-14 Half-life = 5,730 years (time for half of the ¹⁴C to decay). By measuring the remaining ¹⁴C, scientists can estimate the time since death. Formula for Age Calculation: t = \frac{\ln(\frac{N_f}{N_0})}{-k} = age of the...