It is simply called as radiocarbon dating or Carbon-14 dating. Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon, with a half-life of 5,730 years. The carbon-14 decays at this constant rate. It estimates the date at which an organism died by measuring the amount of its residual radiocarbon.It is simply called as radiocarbon dating or Carbon-14 dating. Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope

Why is carbon-14 used to measure the age of trees?

Every 5,730 years, the radioactivity of carbon-14 decays by half. That half-life is critical to radiocarbon dating. Since carbon-12 doesnt decay, its a good benchmark against which to measure carbon-14s inevitable demise. The less radioactivity a carbon-14 isotope emits, the older it is.

Why is it important to calibrate radiocarbon dates?

Calibration of radiocarbon results is needed to account for changes in the atmospheric concentration of carbon-14 over time. These changes were brought about by several factors including, but not limited to, fluctuations in the earths geomagnetic moment, fossil fuel burning, and nuclear testing.