Radiocarbon Dating
The radiocarbon dating method was developed in the 1940's by Willard F. Libby and a team of scientists at the University of Chicago. It subsequently evolved into the most powerful method of dating late Pleistocene and Holocene artifacts and geologic events up to about 50,000 years in age. The radiocarbon method is applied in many different scientific fields, including archeology, geology, oceanography, hydrology, atmospheric science, and paleoclimatology. For his leadership, Libby received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1960.
Study the picture and answer these questions
1. The atomic mass number (the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom) for N-14 and C-14 is the same. How many protons does N-14 have and how many does C-14 have?
  14 of each
  7 & 7
  6 & 8
  7 & 6
  8 & 6
2. C-14 forms from the interaction of Cosmic rays with N-14 by____ and C-14 reverts back to N-14 by____
  beta decay and neutron capture
  electron loss and electron capture
  neutron capture and beta decay
  proton capture both ways
  no way to know

 

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