Final answer:
Radiocarbon dating is a method for determining the age of an organic material by measuring the amount of carbon-14 remaining in it. This technique, which can date materials up to about 70,000 years old, is essential in fields like archaeology and geology to study past organic materials.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is Radiocarbon Dating?
Radiocarbon dating is a method used to determine the absolute age of an organic material by measuring the amount of carbon-14 (C-14) remaining in the sample. C-14 is an unstable isotope of carbon that decays over time at a known rate, with a half-life of approximately 5,730 years. When a living organism dies, it no longer replenishes its C-14 supply, and the existing C-14 begins to decay. The amount of C-14 remaining in the remains can be measured, providing an estimate of when the organism died, which allows scientists to date organic materials up to around 70,000 years old.
The technique of radiocarbon dating was developed by Willard Libby and his team at the University of Chicago and has become a crucial tool for archaeology, geology, and other sciences to study ancient organic materials. This method is most effective for substances that are up to about 30,000 years old, offering reasonably accurate dates up to a maximum of approximately 50,000 years old.