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I'd look up the wikipedia first. But here's a short answer.
Carbon-14 is naturally found in the atmosphere in the form of heavy CO2. The reason for this has to do with neutron flux from the sun hitting nitrogen in the upper atmosphere - whatever. The concentration of heavy CO2 in the atmosphere is relatively stable.
When a plant is alive, it takes up CO2 from the atmosphere and inevitably gets some heavy CO2 as well, and so it incorporates that C14 into its biomass. The concentration of C14 in the plant, as it is alive, stays in equilibrium with the concentration of C14 in the atmosphere.
But when the plant dies, it stops respirating, and it stops taking CO2 in from the atmosphere. The C14 it does have in it continues to decompose according to a very predictable exponential decay rule. So ~14,000years after the plant dies, about half of its C14 has decayed.
So you're a paleontologist 14,000 years from now, and you see a fossilized plant. You measure the amount of C14 in the plant, and you find that its concentration is about half the atmospheric level. Therefor you assume the plant died about 14,000 years earlier.
What else can I help you with?
Why are radioactive materials used to date rocks rocks?
Radioactive materials decay at predictable rates
What materials can carbon dating be used to date?
Carbon dating can be used to date organic materials that were once part of a living organism, such as wood, bone, charcoal, and plant remains. It is most commonly used on objects that are less than 50,000 years old.
What materials are used to date carbon-14?
Only organic materials can be evaluated with the carbon-14 method.
What is carbon dating and what is it used for?
Carbon dating is a method used to determine the age of organic materials by measuring the amount of radioactive carbon-14 present. It is commonly used in archaeology and geology to date artifacts, fossils, and other organic materials up to around 50,000 years old.
What do you call opaque substances that are used to color other materials?
Opaque substances that are used to color other materials are called pigments. Some call them dyes.
What do scientist know about Carbon12 Carbon14 atoms?
Scientists know that the isotopes Carbon-12 and Carbon-14 are both forms of carbon, but they differ in the number of neutrons they contain. Carbon-12 is the most common form of carbon and is stable, while Carbon-14 is radioactive and is used in radiocarbon dating to determine the age of organic materials.
What do scientist use to date?
Scientists use various methods to date materials and events in geology, archaeology, and paleontology. Radiometric dating, which measures the decay of radioactive isotopes, is commonly used to date rocks and fossils. Other methods include dendrochronology (tree-ring dating) and carbon-14 dating for organic materials. These techniques help establish timelines and understand the age of artifacts and geological formations.
What materials were used to build the great wall?
Mostly mud brick and other earthen materials
What materials were used building the great wall?
Mostly mud brick and other earthen materials
What are the different types of materials used for construction in Rajasthan?
The different types of materials used for construction in Rajasthan include brick and clay. Other materials used are sheet rock, cement, wood, and aluminum.
What materials could be used to make shoes other than leather?
Some alternative materials that can be used to make shoes include canvas, synthetic materials (such as polyester or nylon), recycled materials (such as plastics or rubber), and plant-based materials (such as cork or hemp). These materials are often used as sustainable and cruelty-free alternatives to leather.
Why were these materials used to construct the great wall?
Stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials
