Scientists have developed a first-of-its-kind method for determining the age of ancient artifacts without causing damage to the objects.The method could help shed new light on the history of mummified bodies, old maps, cave paintings, and other treasures, they say.It is estimated to require four hours of class time, including approximately one hour total of occasional instruction and explanation from the teacher and two hours of group (team) and individual activities by the students, plus one hour of discussion among students within the working groups.Explore this link for additional information on the topics covered in this lesson: This activity will help students to have a better understanding of the basic principles used to determine the age of rocks and fossils. Objectives of this activity are: 1) To have students determine relative age of a geologically complex area.
Some of the major applications of spectrometers include the following: A mass spectrometer is a device that measures the mass and concentration of individual molecules and atoms by producing spectra."This technique stands to revolutionize radiocarbon dating," said Marvin Rowe, Ph. "It expands the possibility for analyzing extensive museum collections that have previously been off limits because of their rarity or intrinsic value and the destructive nature of the current method of radiocarbon dating.In theory, it could even be used to date the Shroud of Turin." Rowe explained that the new method is a form of radiocarbon dating, the archaeologist's standard tool to estimate the age of an object by measuring its content of naturally-occurring radioactive carbon.A spectrometer is a device for measuring wavelengths of light over a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum.It is widely used for spectroscopic analysis of sample materials.