Radiokarbondátázás

Radiokarbondátázás, 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 from their environment, including ¹⁴C. Once an organism dies, it stops absorbing carbon, and the ¹⁴C within its remains begins to decay at a known, steady rate. This decay process, with a half-life of approximately 5,730 years, means that after 5,730 years, half of the original ¹⁴C will have decayed.

Scientists measure the amount of remaining ¹⁴C in a sample and compare it to the expected amount in a living organism. By calculating how much ¹⁴C has decayed, they can estimate how long ago the organism died. This technique is particularly useful for dating materials ranging from a few hundred years old up to about 50,000 years old. Beyond this range, the amount of remaining ¹⁴C is too small to be reliably measured.

Radiokarbondátázás has revolutionized fields such as archaeology, paleontology, and geology, providing crucial dating for artifacts, fossils, and geological formations. Its applications include dating ancient human settlements, understanding the timelines of extinct species, and reconstructing past environments. The accuracy of radiocarbon dating can be improved through calibration curves that account for fluctuations in atmospheric ¹⁴C levels over time.