radiocarbon dating

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radiocarbon dating

A scientist uses radiocarbon dating to determine the age of an ancient wooden artifact.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A scientific method for determining the age of ancient organic materials: Radiocarbon dating is a technique that measures the amount of the radioactive isotope carbon-14 remaining in an object. Because carbon-14 decays at a known rate, scientists can calculate how long ago the organism died, providing an estimated age for materials like wood, bone, or charcoal.
Usage
  • Radiocarbon dating is primarily used in archaeology and geology to date organic specimens.
  • It is a standard method for establishing chronologies for prehistoric events and artifacts.
Examples
  • Noun:
    • The age of the ancient wooden tool was confirmed through radiocarbon dating.
    • Radiocarbon dating of the charcoal samples placed the campsite at 12,000 years old.
Advanced Usage
  • "Calibrated radiocarbon dating": Refers to dates that have been adjusted using calibration curves (like IntCal) to account for historical fluctuations in atmospheric carbon-14 levels, converting "radiocarbon years" into calendar years.
    • The calibrated radiocarbon dating provided a more accurate historical timeline for the settlement.
Variants and Related Words
  • Carbon-14 dating (n): A common synonym for radiocarbon dating.
    • Carbon-14 dating is another term for the same technique.
  • Radiocarbon (n): The radioactive isotope carbon-14 itself.
    • The amount of radiocarbon in the atmosphere is relatively constant.
Synonyms
  • Carbon dating: The most common informal synonym.
  • C-14 dating: An abbreviated technical term.
Related Phrases
  • Radiocarbon age: The age estimate, in years, produced by the radiocarbon dating method before calibration.
    • The radiocarbon age was 5,000 years BP (Before Present).
  • Radiocarbon chronology: A timeline of events constructed using a series of radiocarbon dates.
    • The radiocarbon chronology of the region was revised after new discoveries.
radiocarbon dating

A scientist uses radiocarbon dating to determine the age of an ancient wooden artifact.

Noun
  1. a chemical analysis used to determine the age of organic materials based on their content of the radioisotope carbon-14; believed to be reliable up to 40,000 years

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