Consider the following statements regarding Radiocarbon Dating1. It is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon.2. After death, all living things absorb carbon from the atmosphere and food sources around them. Scientists will use that to calculate the age.Which of the above statements is/are correct? |ForumIAS

[A] 1 only

[B] 2 only

[C] Both 1 and 2

[D] Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Notes:

About Radiocarbon Dating:

Radiocarbon dating is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon.
Method:

The basis of radiocarbon dating is simple: all living things absorb carbon from the atmosphere and food sources around them, including a certain amount of natural, radioactive carbon-14.
When the plant or animal dies, they stop absorbing, but the radioactive carbon that they’ve accumulated continues to decay.
Hence, measuring the amount leftover gives an estimate as to how long something has been dead.