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JimboSaturn · 56-60, M
@Tracos yep carbon dating
wildbill83 · 41-45, M
@Tracos radioactive decay can only determine the rate of decay of an element; not the origin nor original quantity of it...
wildbill83 · 41-45, M
@Tracos
We don't, hence the problem... it's all based on assumption.
you'd need to know the original weight/quantity of an element down to the nano scale, and accurately measure the loss after decay over a large span of time to determine age; there are multiple isotopes on iron with varying half-lifes, even guessing is difficult when original weight/quantity is assumed over the course of millions of half-lifes... (it's like taking a pound of matter, and halving it a million times, you're left with an infinitesimally small number with a high degree of inaccuracy/margin of error)
If you know the original proportion of stable iron and radioactive iron
We don't, hence the problem... it's all based on assumption.
you'd need to know the original weight/quantity of an element down to the nano scale, and accurately measure the loss after decay over a large span of time to determine age; there are multiple isotopes on iron with varying half-lifes, even guessing is difficult when original weight/quantity is assumed over the course of millions of half-lifes... (it's like taking a pound of matter, and halving it a million times, you're left with an infinitesimally small number with a high degree of inaccuracy/margin of error)
masterofyou · 70-79, M
@wildbill83 what????