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One form of dating the age of a fossil is by radioactive carbon dating - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 6 - 2012 - Paper 1
Question 6
One form of dating the age of a fossil is by radioactive carbon dating. The ratio of carbon-14 to nitrogen-14 (C₁₄ : N₁₄) in the fossil is analysed and compared with... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:One form of dating the age of a fossil is by radioactive carbon dating - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 6 - 2012 - Paper 1
Step 1
Place an X on the curve to show the fossil's C₁₄ : N₁₄ ratio.
Answer
To accurately place the X on the graph, observe that the fossil kangaroo has one-quarter of the carbon-14 compared to that of a living organism. This corresponds to a ratio of C₁₄ : N₁₄ at the point where the ratio is 0.25, which can be plotted at coordinates (2, 0.25) on the graph.
Step 2
Given the half-life of carbon is approximately 6000 years, what is the approximate age, in years, of the kangaroo skull?
Answer
Since the fossil kangaroo's carbon-14 to nitrogen-14 ratio corresponds to one-quarter of the original amount, and knowing that each half-life reduces the amount of carbon-14 by half, we can calculate the age as follows:
- The carbon-14 has undergone 2 half-lives to reach rac{1}{4} .
- Therefore, the age of the kangaroo skull is approximately:
.
Step 3
Why is carbon-dating analysis not always possible?
Answer
Carbon-dating analysis may not always be possible due to various reasons such as contamination of the sample, preservation conditions that inhibit carbon retention, or the time elapsed being beyond the effective range of carbon dating, typically around 50,000 years.
Step 4