Carbon Dating

Definition

Carbon dating is a method used to determine the age of organic materials, such as fossils or artifacts, by measuring the amount of radioactive carbon-14 present. This technique relies on the fact that carbon-14 is constantly being produced in the atmosphere and absorbed by living organisms.

Related terms

Isotope: An isotope refers to different versions of an element that have varying numbers of neutrons in their atomic nuclei.

Radioactive Decay: Radioactive decay is the process by which unstable isotopes spontaneously break down into more stable forms over time, releasing radiation in the process.

Half-Life: The half-life of a radioactive isotope refers to the time it takes for half of a sample of that isotope to decay into its stable daughter product.