how can the age of fossils be calculated
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The age of fossils are determined by carbon dating and by radioactive calculations. Since all living things are made up of carbon, the relative age of fossils, which were once live animal or plant life, can be calculated by estimating at what time the fossil was alive. When the sun’s rays shine on the animals or plants and when this collides with nitrogen it creates Carbon 14, a radioisotope.
People, as an example, have both Carbon-12 and Carbon 14 in their bodies, and as they age, this increases. Carbon-14 decays. Its half life is 5,700 years. That means that carbon-14 remnants will still be measurable when compared with the ratio of how this has diminished to the constant amount of Carbon 12 that remains constant. The findings are then compared to a what a normal living organism’s carbon content should be, and the normal age of a fossil is determined.
People, as an example, have both Carbon-12 and Carbon 14 in their bodies, and as they age, this increases. Carbon-14 decays. Its half life is 5,700 years. That means that carbon-14 remnants will still be measurable when compared with the ratio of how this has diminished to the constant amount of Carbon 12 that remains constant. The findings are then compared to a what a normal living organism’s carbon content should be, and the normal age of a fossil is determined.
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