One possible problem with carbon dating is contamination with modern carbon sources. Suppose an archaeologist has unearthed and carbon-dated a fragment of wood that has absorbed carbon of recent vintage from organic molecules in groundwater. Does he underestimate or overestimate the age of the wood?

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Chapter10: Nuclear Physics
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 40P: Natural uranium consists of 235U(percent abundance = 0.7200%, =3.121017/s ) and 238U (percent...
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One possible problem with carbon dating is contamination with modern carbon sources. Suppose an archaeologist has unearthed and carbon-dated a fragment of wood that has absorbed carbon of recent vintage from organic molecules in groundwater. Does he underestimate or overestimate the age of the wood?

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