Unit Award Scheme

demonstrated the ability to

1. define the concept of radioactive decay and explain the key properties of Carbon-14 that make it useful for dating organic materials

2. explain the process by which Carbon-14 is incorporated into living organisms and how its decay begins upon the organism's death

3. understand and apply the concept of half-life to calculate the age of organic materials using key exponential decay formulas

4. solve at least three word problems involving carbon dating, including calculating the initial amount of Carbon-14, the remaining amount after a certain time, or the age of a sample given the remaining Carbon-14

5. discuss the main limitations and assumptions of carbon dating, including the effective dating range, the need for organic material, and potential sources of error or contamination

6. connect carbon dating to real-world applications in archaeology and/or palaeontology providing at least two examples of significant discoveries made possible through this technique.