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Carbon-14

Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon discovered February 27, 1940, by Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben. Its nucleus contains 6 protons and 8 neutrons. Its presence in organic materials is used in radiocarbon dating.

The half-life of carbon-14 is 5730 years. It decays into nitrogen-14 through beta-decay.


Isotopes of Carbon Carbon-13 Carbon-15
Decay chain Produced from:
Nitrogen-18
Boron-14
Decays to:
Nitrogen-14

See also

References

Kamen, Martin D. Radiant Science, Dark Politics: A Memoir of the Nuclear Age, Forward by Edwin M. McMillan, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985.

Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04