Radiokohlenstoff

Radiokohlenstoff, also known as Radiocarbon or Carbon-14 (¹⁴C), is a radioactive isotope of carbon. It is naturally produced in the Earth's atmosphere when cosmic rays interact with nitrogen atoms. This process creates ¹⁴C atoms which then combine with oxygen to form radioactive carbon dioxide. Plants absorb this radioactive carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, and it becomes incorporated into their tissues.

When organisms consume plants or other organisms that have eaten plants, the ¹⁴C is transferred into their bodies. This ¹⁴C decays at a known rate, with a half-life of approximately 5,730 years. After an organism dies, it stops taking in new carbon, and the ¹⁴C within its remains begins to decay without being replenished.

Radiocarbon dating is a scientific method used to determine the age of organic materials by measuring the amount of ¹⁴C remaining in a sample. By comparing the ratio of ¹⁴C to stable carbon isotopes (¹²C and ¹³C) in an ancient sample to the ratio in living organisms, scientists can calculate how long ago the organism died. This technique is widely used in archaeology, paleontology, and geology to date artifacts, fossils, and geological formations up to around 50,000 years old. Beyond this age, the amount of ¹⁴C remaining is too small to be reliably measured.