Question

The 14C:12C ratio can be used to date fossils that are up to approximately how old?

A. 7 million years
B. 7,500 years
C. 100 million years
D. 75,000 years

Answer 1

The 14C:12C ratio can be used to date fossils up to approximately 57,000 to 58,000 years old, as carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,730 years.

Step-by-step explanation:

The ratio of carbon-14 (14C) to carbon-12 (12C) can be used to date fossils up to approximately 57,000 to 58,000 years old. The half-life of 14C is 5,730 years, and after about 10 half-lives, the isotope concentration becomes too low to measure accurately with the current techniques.

Radiocarbon dating is best for dating items that incorporate atmospheric carbon during their lifetime, and It is particularly effective for biological tissues and is frequently used to estimate the age of organic remains from archaeological sites. For fossils that are significantly older, other methods such as dating with isotopes like potassium-40 may be used.