All life on our planet is made of carbon. Moreover, it has various forms. Most carbon atoms contain six protons and neutrons. This form is called “carbon-12”.
The upper layers of the atmosphere contain carbon with eight protons and the same number of neutrons. This is already carbon-14.
Carbon-14 differs from carbon-12 in its instability. When an animal or plant dies, the carbon-14 in its body decreases. It is known that approximately 50% of the atoms of this isotope decay into nitrogen every 5730 years. This is the half-life.
At the same time, the amount of carbon-12 in dead plants or animals remains the same. By measuring the ratio of these two carbon types, you can understand how much time has passed since the creature died.
This type of analysis is useful when examining fossils that are approximately 60,000 years old. For older residues, elements with longer half-lives are used.
Source: Ferra
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