Which artifact could best be dated with carbon-14—a method called radiocarbon dating?

Question

A.
a fragment of a turtle shell that likely is 10,000 to 30,000 years old

B.
a bronze ring that likely is about 3,000 years old

C.
a fallen log in a forest, of unknown age

D.
a fossil of a fish that likely is about 400 million years old

Answer 1

The artifact that could best be dated with carbon-14 (radiocarbon dating) is:

A. a fragment of a turtle shell that likely is 10,000 to 30,000 years old.

Radiocarbon dating is effective for organic materials that are up to about 50,000 years old, so the turtle shell fragment falls within that range. The other options either involve materials that are not suitable for radiocarbon dating (B - bronze is not organic, C - unknown age of the fallen log cannot be assessed without more information), or are far too old (D - 400 million years old fossil).