Radiochemical Analysis

(Carbon Dating)

By: Jeffrey Skros

What is it used for?

All bodies contain Carbon-14 Plants Oceans Animals Humans

Using the half life forensic scientists can detect when someone died or was born.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_ocr_gateway/radiation/radioisotopesrev5.shtmlhttp://ashleighrebeccakasie.weebly.com/lesson-7-food-cycles.html

Is It Even Relevant?

OF COURSE! Used to identify remains

http://yekaterinburgnews.com/daily-news/yekaterinburg-cyclists-discover-skeletons-at-area-construction-site/10571/attachment/human-skull-on-a-black-background/http://www.faircitynews.com/2011/10/03/springfield-dentist-try-to-decide-what-to-do-with-3000-pulled-teeth/

How Can It Be Used?

Nuclear testing done in the 1950s-1960s had left large amount of Carbon 14 in the Atmosphere

By studying the decay of the Carbon in human remains forensic scientists can determine the year of death or birth.

https://c14.arch.ox.ac.uk/embed.php?File=leaf_forensic.html http://www.radiocarbon.com/beta-radiocarbon-lab.htm https://sites.google.com/site/forensicsapap/ch-7-skeletal-system

Testable Samples

Teeth

Blood

Hair

Nails

Bones

https://www.griffincenter.com/blog/2011/12/29/how-do-scientists-use-hair-in-crime-scene-investigations/http://www.kippaxhallsurgery.co.uk/tests-and-results.aspxhttp://www.radiocarbon.com/ams-dating-bones.htm

LETS RECAP…

Based off of half life All humans have C-14 in them It’s a relatively new field Tests can be done on various human

remains

FALSE No danger is present to those testing samples.

http://www.123rf.com/photo_9136416_no-nuclear-symbol.htmlhttp://www.forum.hr/showthread.php?t=730179&r=archive

Difficulties and Interference

Preservation of Samples must be excellent

Small population can be tested

http://mombizcoach.com/time-focus-moneyhttp://www.clker.com/clipart-population-color-group.html

Limitations and Precision

Small sample required for test

Fairly inaccurate Only works on humans born during or after

the nuclear testinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada_Test_Sitehttp://www.shutterstock.com/pic-55502602/stock-photo-many-bullet-holes-in-the-target-and-intact-bulls-eye-inaccuracy-concept.html

Advantages Can be done with small sample

Doesn’t require any other information

Allows for testing of unidentifiable samples

Disadvantages Small population can be tested

Fairly inaccurate

Samples must be preserved

Will eventually be unusable

https://sites.google.com/site/forensicsapap/ch-7-skeletal-system

Works Cited http://forensicoutreach.com/something-old-something-new-using-carbon-14-dating-to-age-recent-human-remains/

http://www.nij.gov/journals/269/pages/what-is-carbon-dating.aspx

http://www.radiocarbon.com/ams-dating-bones.htm

https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/237722.pdf

http://ashleighrebeccakasie.weebly.com/lesson-7-food-cycles.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_ocr_gateway/radiation/radioisotopesrev5.shtml

http://yekaterinburgnews.com/daily-news/yekaterinburg-cyclists-discover-skeletons-at-area-construction-site/10571/attachment/human-skull-on-a-black-background/

https://c14.arch.ox.ac.uk/embed.php?File=leaf_forensic.html

http://www.radiocarbon.com/beta-radiocarbon-lab.htm

https://sites.google.com/site/forensicsapap/ch-7-skeletal-system

https://www.griffincenter.com/blog/2011/12/29/how-do-scientists-use-hair-in-crime-scene-investigations/

http://www.kippaxhallsurgery.co.uk/tests-and-results.aspx

http://www.radiocarbon.com/ams-dating-bones.htm

http://www.123rf.com/photo_9136416_no-nuclear-symbol.html

http://www.forum.hr/showthread.php?t=730179&r=archive

http://mombizcoach.com/time-focus-money

http://www.clker.com/clipart-population-color-group.html

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-55502602/stock-photo-many-bullet-holes-in-the-target-and-intact-bulls-eye-inaccuracy-concept.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada_Test_Site