Understanding Carbon-14 and Radiocarbon Dating

Understanding Carbon-14 and Radiocarbon Dating

Assessment

Interactive Video

Chemistry, Biology, Science

9th - 12th Grade

Medium

Created by

Mia Campbell

Used 2+ times

FREE Resource

The video explains the presence of carbon atoms in the human body, focusing on carbon-14, an isotope used in radiocarbon dating. Carbon-14 forms in the atmosphere and is absorbed by living organisms. It undergoes beta decay, turning into nitrogen-14, with a half-life of 5,700 years. This decay process allows scientists to date dead organisms by measuring the remaining carbon-14. The video discusses methods like Geiger counters and accelerator mass spectrometry for measuring carbon-14, and challenges such as atmospheric changes affecting accuracy. It concludes with a note on combining radiocarbon dating with other methods for better results.

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10 questions

Show all answers

1.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

How many carbon atoms are there in the human body approximately?

80 trillion trillion

26 trillion trillion

80 trillion

26 trillion

2.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

What is the role of cosmic rays in the formation of carbon-14?

They remove electrons from carbon atoms.

They add a proton to nitrogen atoms.

They convert carbon-12 to carbon-14 directly.

They initiate a reaction that adds a neutron to nitrogen atoms.

3.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

Why do living organisms contain carbon-14?

They convert carbon-12 to carbon-14.

They produce it internally.

They absorb it from the atmosphere.

They only contain carbon-12.

4.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

What happens during the beta decay of carbon-14?

It gains a neutron and becomes carbon-15.

It gains an electron and becomes nitrogen-15.

It loses a proton and becomes carbon-13.

It loses an electron and becomes nitrogen-14.

5.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

What is the half-life of carbon-14?

50,000 years

5,700 years

10,000 years

1,000 years

6.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

Who was the first scientist to measure carbon-14 in samples?

Albert Einstein

Marie Curie

Willard Libby

Niels Bohr

7.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

What is the advantage of using AMS over the beta decay method?

It can measure older samples.

It is more accurate.

It is faster.

It is cheaper.

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