Question

Radio carbon dating is done by estimating in specimen the

• A. Amount of ordinary carbon still present
• B. Amount of radio carbon still present
• C. Ratio of amount of $ \, ^{14}C_{6} \, to \, \, ^{12}C_{6}$ still present
• D. Ratio of amount of $ \, ^{12}C_{6} \, to \, \, ^{14}C_{6}$ still present

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Radiocarbon dating relies on a simple natural phenomenon. As the earth's upper is bombarded by cosmic radiation, atmospheric nitrogen is broken down into an unstable isotope of carbon-carbon (C-14).
The unstable isotope is brought to earth by atmospheric activity, such as storms, and becomes fixed in the biosphere. Because it reacts identically to C-12 and C-13, C-14 attached to complex organic molecules through photosynthesis in plants and becomes their molecular makeup. Animals eating those plants in turn absorb carbon $-14$ as well as stable isotopes. This process of ingesting $C-14$ continues as long as the plant or animal remains alive.
The $C-14$ within an organism is continually decaying into stable carbon isotopes, but organism is absorbing more $C-14$ during its life, the ratio of $C-14$ to $C-12$ remains about same as the ratio in the atmosphere. Where the organism dies, the ratio of C-14 within its carcass begins to gradually decrease.