Final answer:
Radiocarbon dating is primarily used to estimate the age of ancient artifacts and once-living organisms by measuring the decay of carbon-14.
Step-by-step explanation:
The radiocarbon dating technique is used for estimating the age of ancient artifacts and former living organisms. Radiocarbon dating, also known as carbon-14 dating, exploits the decay of carbon-14, a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 5,730 years.
This method is accurate for dating carbon-containing substances up to about 30,000 years old and can yield reasonably accurate dates up to a maximum of about 50,000 years old. When an organism is alive, it maintains a consistent level of carbon-14 through consumption. Once the organism dies, it ceases to consume carbon, resulting in a decrease in the carbon-14 to carbon-12 ratio due to carbon-14 decay over time. By examining the amount of carbon-14 remaining in a sample, compared to a living organism, scientists can estimate the time since death of the sample.