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.

Is carbon dating a type of radiometric dating?

Radiometric dating, radioactive dating or radioisotope dating is a technique which is used to date materials such as rocks or carbon, in which trace radioactive impurities were selectively incorporated when they were formed.

Is carbon dating a type of absolute dating?

Absolute dating methods measure the physical properties of an object itself and use these measurements to calculate its age. One of the most useful absolute dating methods for archaeologists is called radiocarbon dating. It works by measuring carbon isotopes, which are versions of the element carbon.