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12th April 2005, 03:37 PM
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When examining carbon-14 as a method of dating something, how can we be certain that decay rates are constant?
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12th April 2005, 03:42 PM
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12th April 2005, 03:43 PM
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Reps: 673 (power: 0) | | | Can you come up with any mechanism that would change them? And if so, any reason to believe that occurred? To the best of our knowledge, decay rates are constant and I've never heard any reason to think they've changed. |
12th April 2005, 03:43 PM
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Reps: 4,809 (power: 15) | | Originally Posted by Jimmy The Hand
Is this a stupid question? If so, forgive me.
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12th April 2005, 03:44 PM
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Reps: 948 (power: 0) | | Originally Posted by brightlights When examining carbon-14 as a method of dating something, how can we be certain that decay rates are constant?
1) We have been unable to alter decay rates in a lab even when we try to.
2) The effects of changed decay rates would be noticable in far off stars. |
12th April 2005, 03:45 PM
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Reps: 4,809 (power: 15) | | Originally Posted by pinqy Can you come up with any mechanism that would change them? And if so, any reason to believe that occurred? To the best of our knowledge, decay rates are constant and I've never heard any reason to think they've changed.
No, I know very little about carbon dating. I was just wondering if we were basing constant decay rates on any solid evidence or just on educated assumptions.
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12th April 2005, 03:46 PM
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Reps: 4,809 (power: 15) | | Originally Posted by Big Rob 1) We have been unable to alter decay rates in a lab even when we try to.
Ah. Edit: Doesn't substantial decay happen over a long period of time, though? The shortest halflife is 4 years, right? 2) The effects of changed decay rates would be noticable in far off stars.
Hmm, how so?
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12th April 2005, 03:59 PM
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Reps: 1,851 (power: 9) | | Not a stupid question. Just one that has been asked many many times.
Try here. Radiometric Dating For Dummies
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12th April 2005, 04:00 PM
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Reps: 5,365 (power: 27) | | | Not a stupid question, just one that we hear a lot. Although I would like to remind people that when others actually ask questions (instead of make statements they know nothing about) we should be nice and help them understand the answer.
We can be certain that the decay rates have remained relatively constant. Constant enough to make radiometric dating valid.
One simple observation about radiometric decay is that it produces heat. An increase in decay speed would increase the speed at which the isotope heats the sorounding matter. An increase in decay required for most young earth estimates would produce so much heat it would melt the rocks around it.
We have also found at least one natural nuclear reactor, and increase in decay rates would be evident at the reactor site (Including possible holes from nuclear explosions.)
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12th April 2005, 04:06 PM
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Reps: 4,809 (power: 15) | | Originally Posted by Jimmy The Hand
Informative. A question pops to mind when reading that thread: How do we know that Potassium 40 has a 1.something billion year half life?
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