Question

In living things, what is the source of the carbon-14 that is used in radiocarbon dating?


carbonic acid in caves

carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

carbon dioxide in rocks

carbon dioxide in oceans and lakes
There are no human answers yet.
Answered by GPT-4o mini
The source of the carbon-14 used in radiocarbon dating is **carbon dioxide in the atmosphere**. Carbon-14 is produced in the upper atmosphere when cosmic rays interact with nitrogen-14, and this carbon-14 then combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide is subsequently absorbed by plants during photosynthesis and enters the food chain, becoming part of living organisms.