radioactive carbon

Frequency: 6.24.1 per million words

An isotope of carbon (like Carbon-14) used in carbon dating.

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Examples (10)

  • Scientists use the decay of radioactive carbon to determine the age of ancient artifacts.
  • Carbon-14 is a well-known isotope of radioactive carbon.
  • Cosmic rays constantly create radioactive carbon in the upper atmosphere.
  • All living organisms absorb a small amount of radioactive carbon from the environment during their lifetime.
  • After an organism dies, the radioactive carbon within it begins to decay at a predictable rate.
  • By measuring the remaining radioactive carbon, archaeologists can date organic materials accurately.
  • The half-life of radioactive carbon limits its use to dating materials up to about 50,000 years old.
  • The analysis of radioactive carbon in the ancient manuscript confirmed its medieval origins.
  • Researchers are studying how levels of atmospheric radioactive carbon have fluctuated over centuries.
  • The concentration of radioactive carbon in the sample was measured using accelerator mass spectrometry.