Carbon-14

Definition

Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon with an atomic nucleus containing 6 protons and 8 neutrons. It's presence in organic materials is the basis of the radiocarbon dating method to date archaeological, geological, and hydrogeological samples.

Related terms

Isotope: An isotope refers to different forms of a single element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Radioactive Decay: This term refers to the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. In this case, Carbon-14 decays over time.

Radiocarbon Dating: This is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon (Carbon-14), a radioactive isotope of carbon.