Final answer:
Dating methods have specific limitations: Radiocarbon dating is used for organic materials up to 50,000 years old, Thermoluminescence for rocks and minerals only, Dendrochronology for materials that contain trapped electrons, and Uranium-lead for dating geological events.
Step-by-step explanation:
All dating methods indeed have limitations, whether it is the type of material they can date or the time range they cover. Matching the dating method to its specific limitation:
- A. Radiocarbon dating - Limited to organic materials and relatively recent history (up to about 50,000 years).
- B. Thermoluminescence dating - Suitable for dating the age of rocks and minerals but not useful for dating organic materials.
- C. Dendrochronology - Can only be applied to materials that contain trapped electrons, like ceramics and burnt flint.
- D. Uranium-lead dating - Restricted to dating events within the Earth's history, such as the formation of minerals and rocks.
Radiocarbon dating is a form of radiometric dating which uses the radioactive isotope carbon-14 (¹4C) to date organic materials. It provides age estimates for carbon-bearing materials and is most accurate for those up to about 30,000 years old, going up to a maximum of about 50,000 years old. However, it cannot be used to date aquatic samples effectively, and its accuracy has been affected by atmospheric nuclear weapons testing which has added additional carbon-14 to the atmosphere.