A) amount of ordinary carbon still present
B) amount of radio carbon still present
C) ratio of amount of \[^{14}{{C}_{6}}\] to \[^{12}{{C}_{6}}\] still present
D) ratio of amount of \[^{12}{{C}_{6}}\] to \[^{14}{{C}_{6}}\] still present
Correct Answer: C
Solution :
Radiocarbon dating relies on a simple natural phenomenon. As the earths upper is bombarded by cosmic radiation, atmospheric nitrogen is broken down into an unstable isotope of carbon-carbon\[14\,(C-14)\]. The unstable isotope is brought to earth by atmospheric activity, such as storms, and becomes fixed in the biosphere. Because it reacts identically to \[C-12\]and \[C-13,\] \[C-14\] attached to complex organic molecules through photosynthesis in plants and becomes their molecular makeup. Animals eating those plants in turn absorb carbon-14 as welll as stable isotopes. This process of ingesting \[C-14\] continues as long as the plant or animal remains alive. The \[C-14\] within an organism is continually decaying into stable carbon isotopes, but organism is absorbing more \[C-14\] during its life, the ratio of \[C-14\] to \[C-12\] remains about same as the ratio in the atmosphere. When the organism dies, the ratio of \[C-14\] within its carcass begins to gradually decrease.
You need to login to perform this action.
You will be redirected in
3 sec
