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Understanding Carbon-14 Dating

Mike Riddle
Institute for Creation Research

www.icr.org

Background Information: Atoms and Stuff

• The atom

• Fundamental unit of matter

• Made of subatomic particles (protons, neutrons and electrons)

• What is carbon?
• Unstable isotopes

Losing Your Identity: Radioactive Decay

• The nucleus of an atom changes
• The proton/neutron number can change
• Carbon-14 and half-life

• The rate of decay is measured by how long it takes for half an element to decay  (half-life)
• The half-life of C-14 is 5,730 years

This is Your Life: Starring Carbon-14

• How carbon-14 is produced

• Collision with atmosphere (N14)
• Forms C-14
• C-14 combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide (CO₂)

• The life cycle of carbon-14
• Review

• There are different types of carbon
• There are stable and unstable atoms (isotopes)
• Radioactive decay
• Half-life (Carbon-14 = 5,730 years)
• C-14 life-cycle (N-14       C-14       N-14)

Starting the Clock: Things We Need to Know

• Recognize any assumptions
• When does the clock start?
• How the carbon clock works
• Two things we need to know

• How fast carbon-14 decays
• The starting amount of carbon-14

• Understanding the starting point
• Determining the starting amount

• Two types of carbon (carbon-14 and carbon-12)
• A ratio difference
• How the C-12 / C-14 ratio works

A Critical Assumption

• Has the C-12 / C-14 ratio always been the same?
• If the assumption is true
• If the assumption is false
• Dr. Willard Libby and equilibrium
• The facts about equilibrium
• Factors effecting carbon-14 dating

• Cosmic ray penetration
• The strength of the Earth’s magnetic field
• The CO₂ levels in the atmosphere
• The Genesis Flood
• Atmospheric levels of carbon
• The Genesis Flood buried much carbon
• The buried carbon is mostly C-12
• The CO₂ level in the pre-Flood biosphere was different
• C-14 dates using the present ratio of C12/C14 will give incorrect ages
• Example of assumptions and dating
• A false assumption

How Old is Old: Carbon-14 and Age

• Anything older than 60,000 years should contain no C-14

• Coal still contains C-14
• “Million year old” fossils still contain C-14

• Carbon-14 and recent dates
• Carbon-14 summary

• Carbon-14 can only be used to date organic material
• Carbon-14 dating accuracy is dependent upon a consistent ratio between C-12 and C-14
• The assumption of equilibrium is FALSE
• There are factors that can affect C-14 in the atmosphere
• Ancient fossils as well as coal contain C-14 residue
• One more thing about age
• About 30,000 years to reach equilibrium
• Over 25% out of equilibrium
• Conclusion: The earth is young
• Evidences for a young earth
• Conflict in dating

Carbon-14 Dating Conclusion

• A Quote: Radiocarbon: Ages in Error
• The RATE Group
• Does anybody really believe this?
• The evidence

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"