Every 5,730 years, the radioactivity of carbon-14 decays by half. That half-life is critical to radiocarbon dating. Since carbon-12 doesnt decay, its a good benchmark against which to measure carbon-14s inevitable demise. The less radioactivity a carbon-14 isotope emits, the older it is.

Why is half-life important in radioactive dating?

Knowing about half-lives is important because it enables you to determine when a sample of radioactive material is safe to handle. They need to be active long enough to treat the condition, but they should also have a short enough half-life so that they dont injure healthy cells and organs.

Why is half-life useful to an archaeologist?

His radiocarbon dating technique is the most important development in absolute dating in archaeology and remains the main tool for dating the past 50,000 years. How It Works: After an organism dies, the radiocarbon decreases through a regular pattern of decay. This is called the half-life of the isotope.

What is the main problem with nuclear waste?

Nuclear energy produces radioactive waste A major environmental concern related to nuclear power is the creation of radioactive wastes such as uranium mill tailings, spent (used) reactor fuel, and other radioactive wastes. These materials can remain radioactive and dangerous to human health for thousands of years.