Question

which two substances do geologists use in radiocarbon dating?

Answer 1

The answer would be, Carbon 12, and Carbon 14.

Answer 2

Geologists use $\boxed{{\text{carbon - 12 and carbon - 14}}}$ in radiocarbon dating.

Further Explanation:

Radiocarbon dating is a technique that is used to determine the age of a substance with the help of radioactive carbon isotope. It is also known as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating. This is primarily used in archaeology to determine the age of fossil fuels.

Naturally, carbon exists in two stable nonradioactive forms and these are carbon-12 and carbon-13. It has one unstable radioactive isotope of carbon-14.

Carbon-14 is also known as radiocarbon. It is formed continuously in the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere. When neutrons are made to strike on nitrogen-14 atom, the formation of carbon-14 takes place. The formation reaction of carbon-14 is as follows:

 $_{\text{7}}^{{\text{14}}}{\text{N}} + {\text{n}} \to _{\text{6}}^{{\text{14}}}{\text{C}} + {\text{p}}$

Here,

$_{\text{7}}^{{\text{14}}}{\text{N}}$ is an atom of nitrogen-14.

n is a neutron.

p is a proton.

$_{\text{6}}^{{\text{14}}}{\text{C}}$ is an atom of carbon-14.

The expression to determine the age of any substance is as follows:

 ${\text{Age}} =  - 8033 \cdot \ln \left( {Fm} \right)$

Here, Fm is the fraction modern.

The fraction modern (Fm) is defined as the ratio of carbon-14 to that of carbon-12 present in the sample $\left( {^{{\text{14}}}{\text{C}}{{\text{/}}^{12}}{\text{C}}} \right)$.

Since both carbon-12 and carbon-14 are used in the expression to calculate the age of any substance, both are used in radiocarbon dating.

Learn more:

1. What nuclide will be produced in the given reaction? https://brainly.com/question/3433940
2. Calculate the nuclear binding energy: https://brainly.com/question/5822604

Answer details:

Grade: Senior School

Chapter: Nuclear chemistry

Subject: Chemistry

Keywords: radiocarbon dating, carbon dating, carbon-14, age, nitrogen-14, carbon-14 dating, neutron, proton, carbon-12, carbon-13, unstable, stable, radioactive, non-radioactive, radiocarbon, upper troposphere, lower stratosphere, carbon, substance.