An Isotope is an atom of an element which has a different number of neutrons and different mass number but the same proton number. The isotope that will be focused in the essay is carbon 14 isotope. Carbon is found in all living things and is the building block for organic material, there is carbon 12, 13 and 14 and they all have different properties. This isotope was discovered on February 27, 1940 by Martin Karmen and Sam Ruben and is the most radioactive out of all carbon isotopes. The relative abundance of it is >0.1% (trace amount) and its relative mass is 14.003241. It has 6 protons and 8 neutrons. This particular isotope is found in all carbon containing substances however it is very rare. Carbon 14 is used for radiocarbon dating which
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It has had an impact mostly on the social and cultural factors. Socially, carbon 14 has had a negative and positive outcome, the negative aspect it had is the bomb effect. During the 1950's and 1960's there was nuclear testing which had an effect on the atmosphere because of high radiation levels. Nuclear testing gave off a reaction which lead to the atmosphere to produce an unnatural amount of carbon 14. The thermal neutron motion given off from the nuclear testing reacted with the nitrogen atoms in the atmosphere to form carbon 14. The levels of bomb carbon was at a normal 100% between 1963 and 1965, bomb carbon levels in the northern hemisphere reached its climax in 1963 and in the southern hemisphere in 1965. Although nuclear testing was banned in 1963 the bomb effect still remained present in the atmosphere. This affected people because the carbon 14 has had a health hazard towards humans. This can only happen if carbon 14 is exposed to the person internally which it would be due to the fact that it is carbon so it is present in the air we breath, the effect it has is that when it enters the body it decays but leaves aside the weak beta particle, this particle has low energy and cannot travel far however being exposed to this can cause a risk of cancer because of the radiation.The health hazard associated with carbon 14 is the damaging of the cell but that can be repaired internally. On the other half carbon 14 has had a positive outlook to it as it can be an efficient resource for historians, scientist and archeologist making their research more reliable and accurate it also allows people to overlook the past and be able to learn more about it. Culturally carbon 14 has caused controversy in the christian society. Conservative christians believe that carbon dating is wrong due to the fact that when some objects of 50,000 years old have been dated are seen as a inaccurate
It has had an impact mostly on the social and cultural factors. Socially, carbon 14 has had a negative and positive outcome, the negative aspect it had is the bomb effect. During the 1950's and 1960's there was nuclear testing which had an effect on the atmosphere because of high radiation levels. Nuclear testing gave off a reaction which lead to the atmosphere to produce an unnatural amount of carbon 14. The thermal neutron motion given off from the nuclear testing reacted with the nitrogen atoms in the atmosphere to form carbon 14. The levels of bomb carbon was at a normal 100% between 1963 and 1965, bomb carbon levels in the northern hemisphere reached its climax in 1963 and in the southern hemisphere in 1965. Although nuclear testing was banned in 1963 the bomb effect still remained present in the atmosphere. This affected people because the carbon 14 has had a health hazard towards humans. This can only happen if carbon 14 is exposed to the person internally which it would be due to the fact that it is carbon so it is present in the air we breath, the effect it has is that when it enters the body it decays but leaves aside the weak beta particle, this particle has low energy and cannot travel far however being exposed to this can cause a risk of cancer because of the radiation.The health hazard associated with carbon 14 is the damaging of the cell but that can be repaired internally. On the other half carbon 14 has had a positive outlook to it as it can be an efficient resource for historians, scientist and archeologist making their research more reliable and accurate it also allows people to overlook the past and be able to learn more about it. Culturally carbon 14 has caused controversy in the christian society. Conservative christians believe that carbon dating is wrong due to the fact that when some objects of 50,000 years old have been dated are seen as a inaccurate