CHAPTER 5 RESPONSE

QUESTION 1:

RCD is when the scientists take small fragments from bones that are fossilized in the ground and measure the carbon that is in them. Over time the carbon decays nd becomes a completelty different form of carbon. Scientists know the exact time that it takes for the carbon to change so using the ratio carbon 14/ carbon 12 they can find out how long ago that thing was alive.

There are some problems to RCD though. The new ways of radio carbon dating are gettting different results from the earlier ways. There is also a chance that certain animals found the fragment of bone or seed and tried to eat it which would cause the carbon in the seed or bone to change which could throw off the date. Theres also some situations where there is not enough carbon in the bone but there is a plant near the skeleton so the scientists take the carbon from the plant because it was probably near the skeleton at around the same time but there is always a chance that the plant was there after the body was long gone.

QUESTION 2: