Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon. Histories of archaeology often refer to its impact as the radiocarbon revolution.

Is radiometric dating the same as carbon dating?

Radiometric dating is a method used to date rocks and other objects based on the known decay rate of radioactive isotopes. Radiocarbon dating is a method used to determine the age of organic material by measuring the radioactivity of its carbon content.

What is carbon or radioactive dating?

Carbon-14 dating, also called radiocarbon dating, method of age determination that depends upon the decay to nitrogen of radiocarbon (carbon-14). Radiocarbon decays slowly in a living organism, and the amount lost is continually replenished as long as the organism takes in air or food.

What is the same as radioactive dating?

Radiometric dating, often called radioactive dating, is a technique used to determine the age of materials such as rocks. It is based on a comparison between the observed abundance of a naturally occurring radioactive isotope and its decay products, using known decay rates.