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How does carbon dating work?
Quick answer
Carbon dating measures the age of once-living things by tracking radioactive carbon-14. Living organisms absorb carbon-14, which then decays at a steady, known rate after death. By measuring how much is left, scientists estimate how long ago it died. Living things absorb radioactive carbon-14.
Step by step
- Living things absorb radioactive carbon-14.
- After death, that carbon-14 decays at a fixed rate.
- Measuring the leftover amount reveals the age.
- It works on organic material up to ~50,000 years old.
People also ask
How does carbon dating work?
It measures leftover radioactive carbon-14 in once-living material, which decays at a known rate, to estimate age.
What can carbon dating be used on?
Organic materials like wood, bone, and cloth — anything that was once alive.
What are the limits of carbon dating?
It only works on organic material up to about 50,000 years old, after which too little carbon-14 remains.
Part of the guide: Nature & Earth: Living Things and Rocks →