Why Is Carbon Dating Not Useful For Artifacts Made Entirely Of Metal ?
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Carbon dating is actually a variety of dating done by the radioactive elements and is applicable to matter which was living at one point of time and is presumed to be within equilibrium with atmosphere, taking in the carbon dioxide from air for the process of photosynthesis.
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In carbon dating, the cosmic rays blast the nuclei in the upper part of the atmosphere which then produces neutrons finally leading to the bombard nitrogen which is the major constituent of atmosphere. This bombardment then produces radioactive isotope carbon-14 which in turn combines with the oxygen for the formation of carbon dioxide and then is finally incorporated within the cycle of all living things.
As far as carbon dating is concerned, it applies only to the artifacts that contain carbon-14. It an artifact is entirely made up of metal, then it would not contain carbon atoms and thus carbon dating will be of no use. But in any case, if the artifact is made up of wood or similar material, then it would definitely contain carbon atoms which would include carbon-14 as well.
Though there are some metals that might contain the carbon atoms such as steel but then it is highly difficult to separate these atoms from iron which is a very difficult process though. Moreover, carbon dating is a process based entirely on the comparison between radioactive carbon-14 and carbon-12 and without their presence; it cannot work in any case. Thus, carbon dating does not make any sense and is not at all useful for artifacts that are completely made from metal.
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