Purchase Solution

Carbon Dating and Isotopic Fractionation

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

I was given lab data on a sample of organic chemistry, and I need help dating it.

The data is as follows:

1. the delta value for the 13-C (carbon 13) = -7.2

2. 14-C (carbon 14) activity = 8.16 dpm/g

I need help calculating the age of this carbon, and if possible, corrected for isotopic fractionation.

Purchase this Solution

Solution Summary

This solution is provided in 262 words. It calculates the fractionation, as well as uses this information and half-life calculation to carbon date the sample.

Solution Preview

So, first we need to calculate the fraction of 13-C in the sample. Since 13-C is stable, this will give us an indication of how much fractionation happens in this particular sample we are dealing with.

Using the percentages: 12-C (98.89%) and 13-C (1.11%)

We have the ratio (R_std) = 1.11/98.89 = 0.01122

Now the ...

Purchase this Solution


Free BrainMass Quizzes
Organic Chemistry Naming: Alkanes

This is a quiz which is designed to assist students with learning the nomenclature used to identify organic compounds. This quiz focuses on the organic compounds called Alkanes.

Thermochemistry

The quiz helps in revising basic concepts about thermochemistry.

Functional groups in Organic Chemistry

You will be tested on the names of functional groups in Organic Chemistry. It is very important to know the functional groups to understand Organic reactions.

Match Elements with their Symbols

Elements are provided: choose the matching one- or two-letter symbol for each element.