1.)Who is the science of the universe?2.)What is a element sciencetist measure to c how old a dead thing is?

Question

Im only in 5th grade.gosh

Answer 1

Carbon dating is used for dead things that are less than maybe 20,000 years old.  The way it works is that the ratio of carbon 14 to carbon 12 in the atmosphere is well known.  When the animal or plant dies, the carbon 14 decays, and the ratio of how much carbon 12 to carbon 14 changes.  By looking at the ratio now, you can figure out when it died.

For older items, you have to use elements and isotopes that decay slower.  Sometimes you have to date the rocks that the bones were in, rather than the bones themselves.

Answer 2

Radiocarbon dating is how to tell how long a fossil has been in the ground, but the age of people and animals are told by the bones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dati...