Radiokarbondátálást

Radiokarbondátálást, also known as radiocarbon dating or carbon-14 dating, is a scientific method used to determine the age of organic materials. It relies on the decay of the radioactive isotope carbon-14 (¹⁴C). Living organisms constantly absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which includes a small, stable amount of ¹⁴C. When an organism dies, it stops taking in carbon, and the ¹⁴C within its remains begins to decay at a known rate. The half-life of ¹⁴C is approximately 5,730 years, meaning that after this period, half of the original ¹⁴C will have decayed into nitrogen-14.

By measuring the remaining amount of ¹⁴C in a sample and comparing it to the expected initial amount, scientists can calculate how long ago the organism died. This technique is applicable to materials such as wood, charcoal, bone, shells, and textiles, provided they are organic and not too old. The effective range of radiocarbon dating is typically up to about 50,000 years, after which the amount of remaining ¹⁴C becomes too small to measure accurately. Calibration curves are used to correct for variations in atmospheric ¹⁴C levels over time, which can be influenced by factors like solar activity and Earth's magnetic field. Radiocarbon dating has been instrumental in archaeology, paleontology, and geology for establishing chronologies of past events and understanding the timeline of human history and environmental changes.