What is the age limit for using radioactive carbon dating?

1 Answer
Sep 17, 2017

about 57,000 years

Explanation:

The half life of Carbon 14 is about 5,700 years.

Divide # 57000/5700 = 10 #

57000 years is then 10 half lives. This means that what is left
is # 1/2^10 = 1/1024 #

This means that there is less than .1 % of the original radioactive Carbon 14 left. This small amount would be less than the precision of the instruments used to measure the level of radioactivity.

Carbon 14 can not be used to date fossils other than those from the recent era.