Carbon-14

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/carbon-14

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the atomic structure?6 protons and 8 neutrons
2. What is the half-life?5700 ± 30 years
3. What is Carbon-14 and why is it special?Carbon-14 is a tiny, radioactive form of carbon that scientists use to find out how old things are. It is very rare, but its predictable decay makes it a powerful tool for dating.
4. How does Carbon-14 help scientists tell the age of old objects?Scientists measure how much Carbon-14 remains compared to stable carbon. Because Carbon-14 decays at a known rate, they can calculate how many years have passed since the object stopped living.

Isotope: Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons, leading to different atomic masses.
Radioactive Decay: The spontaneous process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation.
Beta Decay: A type of radioactive decay where a beta particle (electron or positron) is emitted from an atomic nucleus.
Radiometric Dating: A method of dating geological or archaeological samples based on the decay rate of radioactive isotopes.