Nuclear reaction leading to formation of C^14 ?

[hermtm2]

Nuclear reaction leading to formation of C^14 ?

Hello.

I've got two questions from the NPRE class. One of them is to estimate how old the certain wook piece contained some amount of C^14 is. I solved it.

The real question is the second one which is
" Write down the nuclear reaction leading to formation of C^14. "

What happen with C^14 related to unclear reaction?

Thanks.

 

[Astronuc]

¹⁴C must be formed somehow. It has Z=6, N=8 (6 protons and 8 neutrons).

n-capture by ¹³C would be one possibility, but there just isn't enough low energy neutrons in nature to produce all the ¹⁴C observed.

Think of a nuclear isobar - same atomic mass, but different Z - and think about what nuclear reaction might occur to produce ¹⁴C.

 

[hermtm2]

I know how to calculate Q or etc. but I have no idea how to extract the formation of the unclear action. Could you give me a little more hint?

Thanks.

 

[theCandyman]

Are you familiar with the chart of the nuclides, hermtm2? It is a chart that shows all the elements and all isotopes of each element. If you look it up and observe the nuclides around C-14, you should be able to find a common path to it.

 

[Astronuc]

I know how to calculate Q or etc. but I have no idea how to extract the formation of the unclear action. Could you give me a little more hint?

Thanks.

What other stable radionulcides exist with A = 14? What would need to happen in order to transform it to ¹⁴C?

 

[Anti-Meson]

" Write down the nuclear reaction leading to formation of C^14. "

What happen with C^14 related to unclear reaction?

Thanks.

¹n + ¹⁴N \rightarrow ¹⁴C + ¹H
Via Cosmic rays.

Then,

¹⁴C \rightarrow ¹⁴N + e^- + \bar{\nu_e}

Brain, Marshall. "How Carbon-14 is Made" 03 October 2000. HowStuffWorks.com. http://science.howstuffworks.com/carbon-141.htm 14 February 2010.