Carbon-14

Definition

Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon that occurs naturally in the atmosphere and is used in carbon dating to determine the age of organic materials.

Related terms

Radioactive Isotope: A radioactive isotope is an atom with an unstable nucleus that undergoes radioactive decay.

Carbon Dating: Carbon dating uses the ratio of carbon-14 to stable carbon isotopes to determine the age of organic materials.

Decay Constant: The decay constant represents the probability per unit time that a given nucleus will undergo radioactive decay.