Radiocarbon dating is a technique used to determine the age of organic materials by measuring the decay of carbon-14 isotopes. It is widely employed in fields like archaeology and geology to date ancient artifacts and fossils.
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Radiocarbon dating is based on the radioactive decay of carbon-14 ($^{14}C$).
Carbon-14 has a half-life of approximately 5,730 years.
Living organisms constantly exchange carbon with their environment, maintaining an equilibrium level of $^{14}C$. After death, this exchange stops, and $^{14}C$ begins to decay.
The ratio of $^{14}C$ to $^{12}C$ is measured to estimate the time since death of the organism.
Radiocarbon dating is effective for samples up to about 50,000 years old.
Review Questions
What isotope is primarily used in radiocarbon dating?
Explain why radiocarbon dating can only be used for organic materials.
What is the approximate half-life of carbon-14?
Related terms
Half-Life: The time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.
$\beta$ Decay: A type of radioactive decay where a beta particle (electron or positron) is emitted from an atomic nucleus.
$^{12}$C/$^{13}$C Ratio: The ratio of stable isotopes carbon-12 to carbon-13; often used as a reference in radiocarbon dating.