Take a look at what we recorded on our summary table. How might what we observed and learned about atoms help us to understand how carbon atoms can help us determine the age of baby Lyuba?
carbon -14 is radioactive, and decays at a known rate
by using the carbon isotope ratios in once living things
... it can be determined when they died (stopped exchanging carbon)
Just so you know, baby lyuba was a baby wooly mammoth found mummified in almost perfect condition. I just don't understand how to find how old it would be using carbon atoms?
To understand how carbon atoms can help determine the age of baby Lyuba, we need to consider the concept of radiocarbon dating. Radiocarbon dating is a technique used to determine the age of organic materials based on the decay of a radioactive isotope of carbon called carbon-14 (C-14).
Here's how understanding atoms, particularly carbon atoms, relates to radiocarbon dating and determining the age of baby Lyuba:
1. Carbon-14: Carbon-14 is a naturally occurring isotope of carbon. While most carbon atoms are stable, carbon-14 is radioactive and undergoes decay over time. This decay process is predictable, with a half-life of approximately 5730 years.
2. Absorption of Carbon-14: Living organisms, including humans and animals, absorb carbon from the environment through various processes. When an organism is alive, it continuously replenishes its carbon-14 content through the consumption of plants or other animals. This results in a relatively constant proportion of carbon-14 to carbon-12 (a stable carbon isotope) in its body.
3. Carbon Exchange: When an organism dies, it no longer takes in new carbon-14. The carbon-14 in its body starts to slowly decay, while the amount of stable carbon-12 remains constant. As a result, the proportion of carbon-14 to carbon-12 decreases over time.
4. Measurement: Radiocarbon dating involves measuring the amount of carbon-14 remaining in a sample and comparing it to the known decay rate. By determining the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 in a sample and comparing it to the ratio in living organisms, scientists can estimate how long it has been since the organism died.
In the case of baby Lyuba, if any of her remains contain carbon-bearing materials (such as bones, teeth, or tissue), scientists can extract a sample and analyze its carbon-14 content. By measuring the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12, they can estimate how long ago baby Lyuba died.
It is worth noting that radiocarbon dating has limitations, such as the method's effective age range (up to around 50,000 years) and potential complications from contamination or alteration of the sample. However, it remains a valuable tool for dating organic materials and understanding the past.