Carbon Dating
Carbon dating, or radiocarbon dating, is a scientific method used to determine the age of ancient organic materials, like wood or bones. It relies on measuring the amount of carbon-14, a radioactive isotope of carbon. Living organisms absorb carbon from their environment, including a small amount of carbon-14. When they die, they stop absorbing it, and the carbon-14 begins to decay at a known rate. By calculating how much carbon-14 remains in a sample, scientists can estimate when the organism died, providing valuable insights into history and archaeology, typically up to about 50,000 years ago.
Additional Insights
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Carbon dating is a scientific method used to determine the age of organic materials, such as bones or wood, up to around 50,000 years old. It works by measuring the amount of carbon-14, a radioactive isotope of carbon, present in a sample. Living organisms absorb carbon from the atmosphere, but once they die, they stop taking in carbon-14, which then begins to decay at a predictable rate. By comparing the remaining carbon-14 in a sample to the expected levels in the atmosphere, scientists can estimate the time since the organism's death, providing valuable insights into historical timelines.