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.

What type of radiation is used for carbon dating?

Every living organism contains the radioisotope carbon-14. Carbon-14 is formed when neutrons from cosmic radiation collide with nitrogen atoms in our atmosphere forming protons and carbon-14 atoms.

Is beta radiation used in carbon dating?

Answer Expert Verified. The answer is beta. Beta radiation is used for carbon dating. This is the process of determining the age of an organic matter based on the proportions of carbon-12 and carbon-14 isotopes present in it.

Is alpha radiation used in carbon dating?

Alpha particles (α) are positively charged and made up of two protons and two neutrons from the atoms nucleus. Alpha particles lack the energy to penetrate even the outer layer of skin, so exposure to the outside of the body is not a major concern. Inside the body, however, they can be very harmful.

What type of radiation is carbon-14?

The nucleus of carbon 14 contains 6 protons and 8 neutrons, as opposed to the 6 and 6 found in ordinary carbon 12. The imbalance makes carbon 14 a radioisotope with a half-life of 5,700 years, and an emitter of beta particles. This radioactive isotope of carbon is called radiocarbon.