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please assist with explanation Atoms consist of a nucleus made up of protons and neutrons. Orbiting outside the nucleus are a cloud of electrons. The

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Atoms consist of a nucleus made up of protons and neutrons. Orbiting outside the nucleus are a "cloud" of electrons. The number of protons determines the element. A carbon atom contains six protons and (normally) six neutrons; however, certain isotopes of carbon can exist. An isotope occurs when an atom has a different number of neutrons. Isotopes of carbon include: Carbon-12, Carbon-13, and Carbon-14. 6 protons 6 neutrons electron + proton neutron Carbon atom Figure I; Depiction of a carbon atom Carbon is an element common in living (organic) matter with C-12 and C-14 occurring in similar abundances. These isotopes combine with Oxygen to form Carbon Dioxide which plants use in photosynthesis. When these plants die, the C-12 and C-14 decay at different rates. (Radioactive decay occurs when an atom decays into a different element. Carbon-14 decays to Nitrogen-14.) Radiocarbon dating is a common technique used to find the age of dead organic matter by measuring the difference between C-12 and C-14 in a sample. This sample could be an ancient plant or animal. Use the C-14 curve below to answer the questions in the discussion section. Data 0.000125 f (0) = 0.000121 0.000100 0.000075 0.000050 0.000025 0.000000 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 X Figure 2: Probability of decay. What is the probability of a C-14 atom taking less than 7,000 years to decay? P(X

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