carbon-14
Radioactive dating tool
Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon used to date organic materials.
Living things absorb carbon-14 from the atmosphere; after death, it decays at a known rate.
By measuring how much remains, scientists can estimate when something died—effective for materials up to about 50,000 years old: Carbon-14 dating placed the artifact at 3,000 BCE.
Decaying carbon isotope
- radiometricMeasuring by radiation
- chronologyTemporal ordering of events
- artifactHuman-made historical object
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
archaeological · fossil · ancient · calibration · dendrochronology · stratigraphy · sample · organic
Period for fifty-percent reduction
- radioactiveEmitting nuclear decay particles
- unstableProne to sudden change
- transmutationComplete change of form
- nucleiCentral parts of atoms
atoms · particles · neutrons · protons · antineutrino · disintegration · exponential · emission
Atom classified by nucleus
- radioisotopeUnstable atomic nucleus variant
- tracerPath-marking projectile
- nucleusCentral controlling part
- fractionationSeparating mixture into components
Act of unearthing
- potteryFired clay objects
- ceramicsHardened clay objects
- mummyEmbalmed, wrapped ancient body
- toolsDevices for doing work
settlements · Neolithic · Paleolithic · cave-painting · burial · textile · papyrus · parchment
Gaseous layer around planets
- nitrogenElement seven, colorless gas
- stratosphereSecond atmospheric layer up
- troposphereLowest atmospheric layer
- photosynthesisLight-to-sugar conversion in plants
oceanic · biosphere · equilibrium · geomagnetic · anthropogenic
radiocarbon
Decaying carbon isotope
- radiometricMeasuring by radiation
- chronologyTemporal ordering of events
- artifactHuman-made historical object
prehistoric · archaeological · fossil · ancient · calibration · dendrochronology · stratigraphy · sample · organic · contamination
half-life
Period for fifty-percent reduction
- radioactiveEmitting nuclear decay particles
- unstableProne to sudden change
- transmutationComplete change of form
nuclei · atoms · particles · neutrons · protons · antineutrino · disintegration · exponential · emission · electron
nuclide
Atom classified by nucleus
- radioisotopeUnstable atomic nucleus variant
- tracerPath-marking projectile
- nucleusCentral controlling part
excavation
Act of unearthing
tools · settlements · Neolithic · Paleolithic · cave-painting · burial · textile · papyrus · parchment · site
atmosphere
Gaseous layer around planets
- nitrogenElement seven, colorless gas
- stratosphereSecond atmospheric layer up
- troposphereLowest atmospheric layer
photosynthesis · oceanic · biosphere · equilibrium · geomagnetic · anthropogenic
- radioactivityradioactive decay, radioactive isotopes, radioisotopes, radionuclides, half-life
- isotope hydrologytritium, deuterium, oxygen-18, oxygen-16, radioactive tracers
- isotope methodsradioisotopes, radiotracers, radioactive tracers, tritium, radiocarbon
- isotope scienceradioisotopes, isotope geochemistry, oxygen-18, nitrogen-15, uranium-238
- Isotope Tracerstracer, radioisotope, isotope, tritium, deuterium
- Isotopeshydrogen-1, helium-3, helium-4, oxygen-16, oxygen-18
carbon, carbonated, carbonation, carbonate, carbonize, carbonic, hydrocarbon, carbons, hydrocarbons