Willard F. Libby

by Sam and Jake

Willard F. Libby

Willard Frank Libby was born in Grand Valley, Colorado, in 1908. He died in 1980 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 72.

Education

He got his early education in a two room school house. He went to Analy High School in Sebastopol. Later he went to Princeton University and Berkeley University and got his PHD.

Life

He was a professor University of Chicago. Then he became a chemist. He helped work on the atom bomb. Later he discovered Radiocarbon.

Facts

Libby was awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1960. At Analy High School they have a mural of him in their library.

Invention

Libby invented radiocarbon dating, which helps people find out the age of artifacts like wood, leather and anything with carbon in it. He discovered this in 1949.

How it Impacted The World

For example, they were able to find when the Dead Sea Scrolls were made. It helped archaeologists find out about our old society.

bibliography

Our sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiocarban_dating,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willard_Libby

Focus on Inventors by Mary Ellen Sterling.

The End

by: Sam Pack and Jake Sonkey