Carbon dating
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Revision as of 18:25, 17 September 2007
Carbon dating, also known as radiocarbon dating, is a scientific procedure used to date organic matter. It depends upon the radioactive decay of carbon-14, an unstable isotope of carbon. Carbon dating has a certain margin of error, usually depending on the age and material of the sample used.
Carbon-14 has a half life of about 5700 years.
Because the level of atmospheric C-14 is not constant, dates must be calibrated based on C-14 levels in samples of known ages.[1]
See also C-decay theory.
References
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