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Q:
In Carbon Dating, material decomposes over time in accordance with its half-life.
a) Is this pace increased by light radiation?
b) Is this only possible with organic matter/compounds?
c) If this indeed does work with rock and inorganic material, if a large amount high-energy light were to simultaneously be sucked into a black-hole, would the black hole thus deteriorate and break down?
- Curious (age years)
somewhere
A:
Dear Curious,
The answers to your questions are:
a) No
b) No
c) No
In sum, the half life of C
14, 5568 years, is not affected by light, gravity or anything. It is only affected by the strength of the weak force coupling constant.
LeeH
(published on 10/17/2009)
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