NAME ________________________________________________ DATE ________________
Radiometric Dating Webquest
What are the three particles that make up an atom?
1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________
Neutrons
http://www.chem4kids.com/files/atom_neutron.html
(google search chem4kids neutrons and click the first link)
4. Neutrons have a _________________________
charge.
5. Neutrons are very important to an atom’s _______________________________
properties.
6. How are isotopes created?
7. Usually, protons and neutrons are stuck together, what happens during radioactive decay?
Click the “next page on atoms” to answer the following questions:
8. Atoms that are missing neutrons or have extra neutrons are called ___________________
9. When an atom loses particles, specifically neutrons, it is going through
____________________________ ___________________
10. Radioactive decay occurs _________________________, how do archaeologists use this
kind of information?
Radioactivity: Expect the Unexpected
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/radioactivity-expect-the-unexpected-steve-weatherall
(google search TedEd Radioactivity and click the first link)
Watch the video on radiation
Click “Think” on the right side of the page and answer the multiple choice questions ONLY.
11. #2_____
12. #4_____
13. #6_____
14. #7_____
15. #8_____
Carbon Dating http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/radiocarbon-dating.html
(google search NOVA radiocarbon dating and click the first link, click LAUNCH INTERACTIVE)
16. How are carbon-12 and carbon-14’s atomic structures different from each other?
17. What happens to one of the neutrons in a carbon-14 nucleus?
18. What does the carbon-14 turn into?
19. What happens to stable carbon-12 as an organism dies?
20. To find the carbon date of something, scientists compare what two levels?
Interactive: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/3534
Play with the Simulationss  Chemistry  Radioactive Dating Game  Click Play
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Take some time and play with the simulation. Those atoms are radioactive! How cool is
that?!
How many protons does Carbon-14 have? _____________ (hint…what is
its atomic number?)
How many neutrons does Carbon-14 have? _____________ (hint: what
is the mass?)
Add a Carbon-14 atom to the play area. What happens to that
Carbon-14 atom?
________________________________________________________________________
________
Do all Carbon-14’s decay at the same time?
____________________________________________
Add 50 Carbon-14s. (click
five times.) What happens?
_______________________________________________
and
periods:
5000 Years
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Using 20 Carbon-14s, draw the pie graph at the following time
10000 years
15000 years
Redo the above with 100 Carbon-14 atoms and fill in the three boxes below.
5000 Years
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10000 years
15000 years
How do the pie graphs of 20 atoms compare to those of 100 atoms?
__________________________________________
Generally, does the size of a radioactive sample affect half-life? __________ Why/Why
not? _______________________
Consider Uranium-238...
 Carbon-14’s half-life was measured in thousands (5700) of years. About
how long is Uranian-238’s half-life?
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How many protons does U-238 have? _____________ How many neutrons?
__________________
Into what atom does Uranium-238 decay?
______________________________________________
Does the size of the sample of Uranium-238 affect its half-life?
_______________________________________________
Determine how the little Geiger counter works in
Measurement and Dating Game. Estimate the age of each of the following objects in the
list below:
Item
Estimated Age
Item
Estimated Age