süsiniku14

Süsiniku14, also known as Carbon-14 or radiocarbon, is a radioactive isotope of carbon. It has an atomic mass of approximately 14 atomic mass units. Unlike the more common stable isotopes of carbon, carbon-12 and carbon-13, carbon-14 is unstable and decays over time. This decay process is a key aspect of its scientific utility.

Carbon-14 is naturally produced in the Earth's upper atmosphere when cosmic rays interact with nitrogen atoms. It then enters the biosphere through the carbon cycle, being absorbed by plants during photosynthesis and subsequently ingested by animals. As long as an organism is alive, it continuously exchanges carbon with its environment, maintaining a relatively constant ratio of carbon-14 to stable carbon isotopes.

Upon an organism's death, this exchange ceases. The carbon-14 within its remains begins to decay at a known rate, with a half-life of approximately 5,730 years. This predictable decay allows scientists to determine the age of organic materials by measuring the amount of remaining carbon-14. This technique, known as radiocarbon dating, is invaluable in fields such as archaeology, paleontology, and geology for dating materials up to around 50,000 years old.