How many isotopes are used in radiocarbon dating?
Quick Answer
Radiocarbon dating relies mainly on carbon-14 compared with the stable isotopes carbon-12 and carbon-13. The key measurement is the ratio between them.
The Full Story
Radiocarbon dating is based on carbon-14 and its comparison with stable carbon-12 and carbon-13. Living organisms maintain a roughly constant ratio of these isotopes while alive, but after death the carbon-14 begins to decay. Scientists measure how much carbon-14 remains to estimate the age of once-living material. The method, developed in the late 1940s by Willard Libby, is widely used in archaeology and environmental science. It works best for samples up to around 50,000 years old, beyond which too little carbon-14 remains to measure reliably.
Key Facts
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"How carbon atoms tell the age of ancient objects"
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