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The half-life of carbon is roughly 6000 years. That means that every 6000 years, the amount of Carbon halves. Therefore, in a million years, the amount of carbon-14 would be so low that it would be extremely difficult to determine the exact age of the shell. So radioactive elements of longer half-lives, such as Uranium-238(half-life of 4.9 billion years) are used to date older objects.

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Which items can be dated by isotope carbon 14?

material up to 60 000 years old


Why can't carbon dating reveal the age of older fossils?

Carbon dating, or radiocarbon dating, is effective for dating organic materials up to about 50,000 years old because it measures the decay of carbon-14, a radioactive isotope that has a relatively short half-life of about 5,730 years. Older fossils typically do not contain sufficient carbon-14 for accurate measurement due to its decay over time, making it impossible to date them reliably. Instead, older fossils are usually dated using other methods, such as uranium-lead or potassium-argon dating, which are suitable for much older geological timescales.


How did this carbon atom eventually form coal?

The carbon atom eventually formed coal through a process called coalification. This begins with the accumulation of plant material, such as ferns and trees, in swampy environments, where anaerobic conditions prevent decomposition. Over millions of years, layers of sediment build up, applying heat and pressure, which transform the organic material into peat and then gradually into coal through physical and chemical changes. This process can take millions of years, resulting in the dense carbon-rich material we know as coal.


What is the limit on carbon dating?

Carbon dating, or radiocarbon dating, is effective for dating materials that are up to about 50,000 years old. Beyond this range, the amount of carbon-14 remaining in a sample decreases to levels that are difficult to measure accurately. Consequently, samples older than this limit typically cannot be reliably dated using this method. Other dating techniques are used for older materials.


What is the half life of carbon-14 and what does this refer to?

The half-life of carbon-14 is about 5700 years. Some sources say 5730, but I don't know the accuracy of that number. In the case of carbon-14, this is the period of time for half the original material to decay to nitrogen-14. This is useful in carbon dating, where the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 and carbon-13 is measured, giving an estimate for the age of a carboniferous (plant material) sample.

Related Questions

Why cant carbon-14 be used to date material that is older than 75000 years?

Carbon has a half life of 5730 years. That means that after 5730 years there'll only be half the amount left. After about 11500 there will be a quarter of the original. After 75000 years there will be about 0.0001 of the original sample which is too small to date accurately?


Which isotope is useful for dating wood and charcoal that is less than 75000 years old?

carbon- 14


Why can't carbon be used to date all ages of material?

Carbon dating is only reliable up to about 50,000 years due to the short half-life of carbon-14 (5,730 years). For older materials, other radioactive isotopes with longer half-lives, such as uranium-lead or potassium-argon, are used for dating.


Which prophet of Allah was present 75000 years ago?

There is no way of knowing the answer to your question


Can carbon dating be used on bones a million years old?

No, there are no detectable levels of carbon-14 left in any sample older than roughly 40,000 years. Without carbon-14 in the sample, no date can be determined.


Which isotope is useful for dating wood and charcoal that is less than about 75000 years old?

Carbon-14 is the isotope commonly used for dating wood and charcoal less than about 75,000 years old. This isotope is useful because plants take in carbon-14 while they are alive, and it decays at a known rate after the plant dies, allowing for accurate dating.


What is the age determined by carbon dating?

The age of organic material up to about 70,000 years.


Why is carbon14 dating not accurate for estimating the age of materials more than 50.000 years old?

Carbon-14 dating is not accurate for materials older than 50,000 years because the half-life of carbon-14 is about 5,730 years, meaning it decays rapidly over time, making it ineffective for measuring ancient material. Beyond this age, the amount of carbon-14 left in a sample is so small that it becomes difficult to accurately measure, leading to less reliable age estimates. Other dating methods, such as potassium-argon or uranium-lead dating, are better suited for older materials.


What is payment on 75000 loan at6.25percent for 30 loan?

$453.42 over 30 years.


Which items can be dated by isotope carbon 14?

material up to 60 000 years old


Which two criteria must be met before scientists can use radiocarbon dating?

Two criteria that must be met before scientists can use radiocarbon dating are the availability of carbon in the material being dated and the assumption that the carbon is of organic origin. Additionally, the material being dated should not be contaminated with younger or older carbon to obtain accurate results.


Why can't carbon dating reveal the age of older fossils?

Carbon dating, or radiocarbon dating, is effective for dating organic materials up to about 50,000 years old because it measures the decay of carbon-14, a radioactive isotope that has a relatively short half-life of about 5,730 years. Older fossils typically do not contain sufficient carbon-14 for accurate measurement due to its decay over time, making it impossible to date them reliably. Instead, older fossils are usually dated using other methods, such as uranium-lead or potassium-argon dating, which are suitable for much older geological timescales.