Hiili14

Hiili14, also known as Carbon-14, is a radioactive isotope of carbon with an atomic mass of 14. It is naturally present in the environment and is used in various scientific applications, particularly in radiocarbon dating. Carbon-14 is produced in the upper atmosphere through the interaction of cosmic rays with nitrogen-14 atoms, resulting in the formation of carbon-14 and a neutron. This process is known as cosmic ray spallation.

The half-life of carbon-14 is approximately 5,730 years, which means that after this period, half of the carbon-14 in a sample will have decayed into nitrogen-14. This property makes carbon-14 useful for dating organic materials, such as wood, bones, and artifacts, up to about 50,000 years old. By measuring the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 in a sample, scientists can determine the age of the material.

Carbon-14 is also used in medical imaging and research, where it is incorporated into molecules to track their behavior in living organisms. In industry, it is used as a tracer in leak detection and as a neutron source in various applications. However, the use of carbon-14 in nuclear weapons and nuclear reactors has led to concerns about its environmental impact and the potential for radioactive contamination.