Isotopes of carbon

δ13C is a comparison between the ratio of carbon 13 and carbon 12 of the object of interest compared to a standard. The cause of the -20‰ of δ13C in the maple syrup is no cause for concern. The reason -20‰ of δ13C may have been a cause for concern is because there are some sugarwoods that will adulterate their maple syrup with corn syrup or cane sugar. Corn syrup, as well as cane sugar, have a higher δ13C content than maple syrup. Typically corn syrup and cane sugar have between -9‰ to -12‰…

Once a living thing dies, the carbon dating process begins. As long as an organism is alive it will continue to take in 14C or radio carbon; however, when it dies, it will stop. Since 14C is radioactive (decays into 14N), the amount of 14C in a dead organism gets less and less over time. Therefore, part of the dating process involves measuring the amount of 14C that remains after some has decayed. Scientists now use a device called AMS (don't know what it stands for) to figure out the ratio of…

The human body is mainly made up of four elemental components: oxygen (65%), Carbon (18%), Hydrogen (10%), and Nitrogen (3%). It is also composed of about 28 other elements including, Potassium, Sodium, and Calcium. Each plays a major role on the daily functions of the human body. Oxygen accounts for roughly about two-thirds of the mass of the human body and is use in cell respiration. Carbon is part of the molecular structure in certain fats, proteins, and carbohydrates; which are essential…

Radiocarbon dating was invented similarly with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Furthermore, due to the long duration of time elapse, it was hard to date the time when the scrolls were produced. Although the hot and dry climate of the Dead Sea prevented it from rotting severely, it was still difficult to exclude the containments included in the fragments and scrolls. As a result, the process of processing the samples was intricate. At the first part of the process, the scientists tried to…

elements is Carbon (C). Carbon is essential for life and other important areas of the world. Carbon is a non-metal, that is in a solid state at room temperature. There are many different unique properties that help Carbon do what it needs to do. Carbon is the sixth most abundant element on Earth, and used in the daily lives as oil or coal. The origin of the name is Latin, coming from the word Carbo. Carbon was date discovered is not known specifically but has been known since ancient times.…

Fossil Fuels are organic deposits derived from decaying plants and animals that have been fossilized over millions of years. There is more to them than that however they are also hydrocarbons comprised primarily of the following elements: carbon and hydrogen and some sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, and minerals. Different combinations of these elements are used as a fuel for our everyday lives. This paper’s purpose is to explain some of the chemistry behind the use of these various fossil fuels as…

estimation of running speed from trace fossils as well as comparisons of fossil biomass to modern day analogues. A more accurate and unambiguous method of predicting the body temperatures of dinosaurs is through the application of clumped isotope thermometry. Clumped isotope thermometry involves the use of heavy,…

Our lives and the lives of those before us, have been unknowingly (or knowingly) shaped by elements. In The Disappearing Spoon, the author Sam Kean, discusses the wonderful world of the periodic table in depth. Within the first nine chapters of the novel, Kean explains the importance of location on the table, origin and discovery of each element, and its impact on other aspects of human life. Through various tales, the table is pulled apart and analyzed in an ingenious way. To a reader, it is…

Esterification is a Nucleophilic Acyl Substitution Reaction wherein a carboxylic acid or a derivative of a carboxylic acid accepts a nucleophile which in turns substitutes for a leaving group. In esterification a leaving group connected to the carbonyl carbon is substituted by an alkoxide ion which forms the formula RCOOR’ which is an ester. For this particular experiment the esterification used was the Fischer esterification reaction which involves a carboxylic acid and an alcohol mixed in…

fuel resources such as coal, but we are getting religion. With the right amount of will and leadership we can certainly avoid the worst ' ' ' (Marsa 124). Australia has started to work on reforms to change their nasty habits such as putting a tax on carbon, which has provided an incentive to lower the usage of fossil…