What factor reduces the accuracy of radiocarbon dating? Atmospheric carbon-14 levels change over time. Bones and objects absorb carbon dioxide. Bones and fossilized plants absorb carbon over time.

Question

Rebekah Huffman

Physics

18 November, 13:53

What factor reduces the accuracy of radiocarbon dating? Atmospheric carbon-14 levels change over time. Bones and objects absorb carbon dioxide. Bones and fossilized plants absorb carbon over time.

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Answers (1)

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Blaine Lee · Answer 1

Answer: Atmospheric carbon-14 levels change over time.

Explanation:

Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon and has a half-life of 5730 years. Due to its presence in all organic materials, this radioisotope is used in the dating of organic specimens.

However, this test is only useful for samples of thousands of years, for samples with ages of millions of years is not useful because the half-life of carbon-14 is lower.

In addition, there is a factor that negatively influences the accuracy of the test, the fact that the concentration of carbon-14 in the terrestrial atmosphere has not remained constant over time. This is due to changes in the flow of cosmic radiation and solar activity, changes in the intensity of the earth's magnetic field and the artificial production of this radiosotope between the 1950s and 1960s with the nuclear tests carried out.