Radiokarbonová

Radiokarbonová refers to radiocarbon dating, a scientific method used to determine the age of organic materials. This technique relies on the radioactive decay of carbon-14, an isotope of carbon that is naturally present in the atmosphere and incorporated into living organisms. When an organism dies, it stops exchanging carbon with its environment, and the carbon-14 within its remains begins to decay at a known rate. By measuring the amount of remaining carbon-14 and comparing it to the initial atmospheric concentration, scientists can calculate how much time has passed since the organism's death.

The half-life of carbon-14 is approximately 5,730 years. This means that after this period, half of the original carbon-14 will have decayed. Consequently, radiocarbon dating is most effective for dating materials up to about 50,000 years old. Beyond this range, the amount of remaining carbon-14 becomes too small to measure accurately. The method is widely used in archaeology, paleontology, and geology to date fossils, artifacts, and geological samples. Calibration curves are used to correct for variations in atmospheric carbon-14 levels over time, improving the accuracy of the dates obtained.