Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/04/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]One tidbit that might make the process easier to understand... There is a constant level of Carbon 14 in the atmosphere, so everything living (plants and animals) in the food chain has a very consistent level of C14 in it. However, once something dies, it stops taking in C14 and the C14 levels begin to slowly decrease to become C12. By measuring the amount of C14 remaining in bones, papyrus, wood, etc., an approximate time of death can be established. At 08:10 AM 4/19/02, you wrote: >I am continually amazed by what I learn on the LUG! > >-Doug > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "John Collier" <jbcollier@shaw.ca> >To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> >Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 5:09 PM >Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: [OT} carbon 14 dating > > > > Actually they measure the ratio of the carbon 14 to carbon 12. As time > > goes by carbon 14 decays into carbon 12 and the ratio of carbon 14 to > > carbon 12 changes. The whole process is explained below so I do not have > > to blab on endlessly :-) > > > > http://www.howstuffworks.com/carbon-14.htm > > > > John Collier > > > > On Thursday, April 18, 2002, at 02:49 PM, telyt@earthlink.net wrote: > > > > > ericm@pobox.com writes: > > > > > >> You mean the test where they measure the *decay* of various carbon > > >> atoms? > > >> That test? :) > > > > > > yep, the decay of a radioactive isotope of carbon. It's not the normal > > > carbon that's decaying. > > > > -- > > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > >-- >To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html