The technique of carbon dating would be most suitable for dating organic remains that are aged
A - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 12 - 2011 - Paper 1
Question 12
The technique of carbon dating would be most suitable for dating organic remains that are aged
A. 40000000 years and beyond.
B. 4000000 years.
C. 400000 years.
D... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The technique of carbon dating would be most suitable for dating organic remains that are aged
A - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 12 - 2011 - Paper 1
Step 1
A. 40000000 years and beyond.
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Answer
Carbon dating is effective for dating remains that are up to about 50,000 years old, as it relies on the decay of Carbon-14, which has a half-life of approximately 5,730 years. Thus, this option is not suitable for dating organic remains in the range of millions of years.
Step 2
B. 4000000 years.
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Answer
Similar to option A, carbon dating is not appropriate for remains that are millions of years old due to the limited range of Carbon-14 dating, making this option unsuitable.
Step 3
C. 400000 years.
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Answer
While 400,000 years falls within the limits of carbon dating, it is nearing the maximum effective limit. Although carbon dating can still provide some results, this is not the best option compared to option D.
Step 4
D. 40000 years.
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Answer
This is the most suitable answer. Carbon dating is best utilized for organic remains that are aged up to about 50,000 years, making 40,000 years an ideal candidate for carbon dating.
