Why is it in the news?
Discovery of Carbon-14 revolutionised dating of ancient artifacts.
Category: Science and Technology
Important Points:
● Radioactive isotope of carbon
● Formed by cosmic ray bombardment of nitrogen
● Contains 6 protons and 8 neutrons
● Decays into nitrogen
● Half-life approximately 5,730 years
● Basis of radiocarbon dating method
● Used to date organic materials (500–50,000 years old)
● Developed in late 1940s by Willard Libby (Nobel Prize recipient)