Radioactive Decay Lab Report

Words: 2002
Pages: 9
Open Document
Mathematics Exploration: Modelling Radioactive Decay of Carbon

1. Introduction What goes up, but never comes down? Age; the age of an object, or organism cannot be reduce, it only increases as time goes on. Scientist can discover the age of many things, like fossils, through radioactive dating, the determination of the absolute age of rocks and minerals using certain radioactive isotopes. These methods measure the amount of radioactive decay, the process by which unstable isotopes transform to stable isotopes of the same or different chemical elements by a change in the number of protons and neutrons in the atomic nucleus. This decay occurs in a consistent manner, like a clock, over long periods of time. In this experiment I will be looking at Carbon-14 (or Radiocarbon) Dating.

b) Aim and Rationale …show more content…
I first became interested in Radioactive Dating while in physics class, where we briefly discussed how archaeologists and anthropologist discover the age of fossils and artifacts. I chose this topic because I have always been fascinated with Archaeology and Ancient Civilizations and I wanted to teach myself how to date fossils and ancient artifacts. This is a topic that combines to aspects of learn that I enjoy; history, and science, in a way that I never previously thought they could be combined. Not only can you deduce the timing past events through the use of radiocarbon dating, you could also discover who an individual or a group lived. For this experiment I have actually created my own stimuli; though I went through many trials in finding numbers that suited the limits of radiocarbon dating. I hope the reader will learn along side me, what radiocarbon dating is, and how mathematics can help discover the history of a civilization or an
Show More

Related Documents: Radioactive Decay Lab Report

Solutions to Hp422 Essay

9- What is nuclear stability [pic] The graph shows the nuclear stability line and the neutron to proton ratio. The further the n/p ratio is away from the stability line the more probability that the nuclide will be unstable and radioactive. 10- What are the magic numbers The so-called "magic numbers," with N or Z equal to 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82, and 126 correspond to the closure of major nuclear shells (much like the atomic shells of the electrons) and enhance nuclear stability…

Words 9526 - Pages 39

Essay about The Truth Behind Being Afraid of the Dentists

$1000.00 per crown. Which means insurance only covers $500 for this very common procedure (4 out of 10 patients need crown work). According to Dr. James Merrett, “The best way to prevent decay under a crown is proper oral hygiene. Most people are great brushers, but not great flossers. Many times people get decay under a crown due to food not being removed from around the crown, giving the bacteria a perfect breeding ground. If you have an area that is trapping food, it is best to see your dentist…

Words 2323 - Pages 10

The Science Fiction Museum And Hall Of Fame

[EIGHT] WHAT INSPIRES THEM: SCIENCE FICTION’S IMPACT ON SCIENCE REALITY You can never tell when you make up something what will happen with it. You never know whether or not it will come true. —DONNA SHIRLEY The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame appropriately stands in the shadow of Seattle’s futuristic landmark, the Space Needle. Set in a multicolored, globular Frank Gehry-designed building that looks like a cut-up guitar (a “ridiculous . . . monstrosity of postmodern architecture” is…

Words 8778 - Pages 36

Occupational Safety and Health and Supplier Label Essay examples

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is a nation-wide (Canadian) communications system that provides information about hazardous materials, which are produced, sold in, imported to, or used within workplaces. The system has three components that provide you with information about the materials you work with, about the physical agents you are exposed to and the hazards that exist in the working environment. • Labels • Material Safety Data Sheets • Worker Education Programs…

Words 6990 - Pages 28

Gp Essay Mainpoints

GP NOTES 2010 (ESSAY) Content Page 1. Media a. New vs. Traditional b. New: narcissistic? c. Government Censorship d. Profit-driven Media e. Advertising f. Private life of public figures g. Celebrity as a role model h. Blame media for our problems i. Power + Responsibility of Media j. Media ethics k. New Media and Democracy 2. Science/Tech a. Science and Ethics b. Government and scientist role in science c. Rely too much on technology? d. Nuclear technology…

Words 24667 - Pages 99