The method has limitations: Samples can be contaminated by other carbon-containing materials, like the soil that surrounds some bones or labels that contain animal-based glue. Inorganic materials cant be dated using radiocarbon analysis, and the method can be prohibitively expensive.

What can carbon dating not be used for?

Geologists do not use carbon-based radiometric dating to determine the age of rocks. Carbon dating only works for objects that are younger than about 50,000 years, and most rocks of interest are older than that.

What are the limitations of radiocarbon dating quizlet?

Radiocarbon Dating - What are the limitations of this type of dating method? 1) Scientists can only use organic materials; 2) Not reliable beyond 5000 years old / Cant tell if its actually older than 5000 years.

What are the flaws of carbon dating?

But scientists have long recognized that carbon dating is subject to error because of a variety of factors, including contamination by outside sources of carbon. Therefore they have sought ways to calibrate and correct the carbon dating method.

What is the current maximum amount of time that carbon 14 dating can date back quizlet?

The currently accepted value for the half-life of 14C is 5,730 years. This means that after 5,730 years, only half of the initial 14C will remain; a quarter will remain after 11,460 years; an eighth after 17,190 years; and so on.

How far back can radiocarbon dating be used to determine the age of fossils quizlet?

The older a sample is, the less 14 C there is to be detected, and because the half-life of 14 C (the period of time after which half of a given sample will have decayed) is about 5,730 years, the oldest dates that can be reliably measured by this process date to around 50,000 years ago, although special preparation

What material would be most suitable for carbon-14 dating?

Carbon-14 is a weakly radioactive isotope of Carbon; also known as radiocarbon, it is an isotopic chronometer. C-14 dating is only applicable to organic and some inorganic materials (not applicable to metals).