BASIC PRINCIPLES OF CARBON-14
Carbon-14 / radiocarbon is the isotope of which is the weakly /unstable radioactive element of carbon, it is also known as the isotopic chronometer (carbon-12 and carbon-13 are the two stable isotopes of carbon). C-14 is usually formed at the upper most atmosphere by cosmic rays neutron on nitrogen-14 atom.
It is quickly oxidized in the air and form carbon dioxide (co2) and migrate or assimillate to the global carbon cycle.
Animals and plants inhales carbon-14 from carbon dioxide during their lifetime ,when these plants or animals dies, they immediately stop the exchange of carbon in the biosphere and the c-14 in them (neither plants nor animals) starts to decrease in a rate which is determined by the law of RADIOACTIVE DECAY.
C-14 / radiocarbon dating the method which is designed in other to measure the remaining /residul radioctive element in a sample or substances thereby knowing the amount of c-14 left in an organism /sample.
When the organism dies, it's age can be known by the method of radiocarbon dating.
Radiocarbon dating results the indicate when an organism was alive not when the material from that organism was used.
In other words, c-14 is the method which provides the age of an object estimate for c-14 based substances / materials originated from living things. The age of an object can also be estimated by measuring the number of c-14 in the sample and by comparing it against the internationally used reference standard.
The study of radiocarbon dating in the 20th century has made it the most important discoveries toady.
THERE ARE THREE METHODS OF RADIOCARBON DATING
- liquid scintillation counting
- Accelerator mass spectrometer and
3.Gass proportional counting .
No scientific method has revolutionalize the Human's understanding not even the present but also to some events that took place or occurred thousand years ago .
Human sciences uses radiocarbon dating to prove and to disprove theories e.g Archaeology.
For some years now, c-14 has found some application in oceanography, geophysics, atmospheric sciences ,paleoclimatology, geology, hydrology and also biomedicine .
But not all materials are radiocarbon dated, majority of organic compounds are carbon dated while some inorganic compound eg aragonite, shells can be dated as long as the material formed involves assimilation of C-14 in a balanced atmosphere or equilibrium . Materials which has been radiocarbon dated in the inception of this method includes,
Wood, twings, seeds, bones, blood residues ,fabrics, paper or parchment, resins water, leather, peat, lake mud, soil, hair, charcoal etc .