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Carbon dating, or carbon-14 dating, is a method for comparing the ages of organic materials such as bones or things made from anything that once lived.   

'''Carbon dating''', or carbon-14 dating, is a method for comparing the ages of organic materials such as bones or things made from anything that once lived.   

The technique is based on comparing the levels of <SUP>14</SUP>C and <SUP>12</SUP>C isotopes in the sample.  When the sample was living, the ratio of <SUP>14</SUP>C to <SUP>12</SUP>C in the material is the same as in the atmosphere.  But after death the <SUP>14</SUP>C isotope decays into N-14, while <SUP>12</SUP>C does not.  The loss in <SUP>14</SUP>C is then used to estimate how long ago the sample died, which is typically the same as how long the sample existed.

The technique is based on comparing the levels of <SUP>14</SUP>C and <SUP>12</SUP>C isotopes in the sample.  When the sample was living, the ratio of <SUP>14</SUP>C to <SUP>12</SUP>C in the material is the same as in the atmosphere.  But after death the <SUP>14</SUP>C isotope decays into N-14, while <SUP>12</SUP>C does not.  The loss in <SUP>14</SUP>C is then used to estimate how long ago the sample died, which is typically the same as how long the sample existed.

Since the half-life of <SUP>14</SUP>C is only 5715 years, after 50,000 years only about 1/500th of the <SUP>14</SUP>C remains - and since even initially it is only present as a minute proportion of the whole (0.0000000001% of all Carbon atoms), measuring the exact quantity present with precision enough to be of use for dating purposes is extremely difficult. For this reason, scientists do not generally attempt to carbon date material that is believed to be older than about 50,000-60,000 years old.  However, isotopes with longer half-lives may be used.

Since the half-life of <SUP>14</SUP>C is only 5715 years, after 50,000 years only about 1/500th of the <SUP>14</SUP>C remains - and since even initially it is only present as a minute proportion of the whole (0.0000000001% of all Carbon atoms), measuring the exact quantity present with precision enough to be of use for dating purposes is extremely difficult. For this reason, scientists do not generally attempt to carbon date material that is believed to be older than about 50,000-60,000 years old.  However, isotopes with longer half-lives may be used.

Additional anomalous results from carbon dating, which reinforce its limitations, include the inability to date carbonate rocks, which by confound the science behind the dating technique.{{fact}}

Additional anomalous results from carbon dating, which reinforce its limitations, include the inability to date carbonate rocks, which confound the science behind the dating technique.

==See also==

==See also==