Question

While they're alive all living things absorb c14, when they die it breaks down at a known rate (half life), and by measuring how much c14 is left you can determine how long it's been dead___________

Answer 1

Carbon-14 dating is used to determine the age of an organism by measuring the amount of carbon-14 remaining in its cells. By comparing the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 in the remains to the ratio in living organisms, scientists can calculate the number of half-lives that have passed and estimate the age of the object.

Step-by-step explanation:

Carbon-14 dating is used to determine how long ago an organism has died by measuring the amount of carbon-14 remaining in its cells. Carbon-14, or 14C, is an isotope that is taken in by plants and animals while they are alive. After death, the 14C in the organism gradually decays at a known rate, with a half-life of 5,730 years. By comparing the ratio of 14C to stable carbon-12 in the remains to the ratio in living organisms, scientists can calculate the number of half-lives that have passed and estimate the age of the object.