Applied maths and modelling · Accessible · Dissertation

How reliable is radiocarbon dating?: a maths EPQ idea

Why it works as an EPQ

The exponential model is A Level mathematics; the uncertainties and calibration give you plenty to evaluate.

Scope and difficulty

Accessible. Accessible. Focus on the mathematics of the decay model and its error, not the chemistry.

The maths

Builds on these A Level topics: Exponentials and logarithms · Differentiation · Statistical distributions.

You would learn:

• Half-life and decay constants
• Propagating measurement error
• Calibration curves

Learning maths beyond the course is expected in a maths EPQ, but you must understand and explain everything you use.

One possible plan

1. Derive the dating formula from exponential decay.
2. Show how a small error in the measured ratio becomes an error in age.
3. Explain why calibration is needed and how it changes dates.
4. Judge the method's reliability for different ages of sample.

Pitfalls

• Quoting a half-life without a source.
• Ignoring uncertainty altogether.

Where to start reading

• Search for: radiocarbon calibration curve explained
• Search for: radiocarbon dating error propagation

Prefer books, lecture notes, journal articles and official data to a single website, and record every source as you read (how to reference).

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