Science
How does carbon dating work?
Carbon dating measures the age of once-living things by tracking radioactive carbon-14. Living organisms absorb carbon-14, which then decays at a steady, known rate after death. By measuring how much is left, scientists estimate how long ago it died.
See it in motion.
Watch a 2-minute animated lesson that shows exactly how carbon dating works.
Step by step
- 1Living things absorb radioactive carbon-14.
- 2After death, that carbon-14 decays at a fixed rate.
- 3Measuring the leftover amount reveals the age.
- 4It works on organic material up to ~50,000 years old.
Frequently asked questions
- How does carbon dating work?
- It measures leftover radioactive carbon-14 in once-living material, which decays at a known rate, to estimate age.
- What can carbon dating be used on?
- Organic materials like wood, bone, and cloth — anything that was once alive.
- What are the limits of carbon dating?
- It only works on organic material up to about 50,000 years old, after which too little carbon-14 remains.