Archaeology and other human sciences use radiocarbon dating to prove or disprove theories. Over the years, carbon 14 dating has also found applications in geology, hydrology, geophysics, atmospheric science, oceanography, paleoclimatology and even biomedicine.

What is carbon dating a practical application of?

Measuring carbon-14 levels in human tissue could help forensic scientists determine age and year of death in cases involving unidentified human remains. Archaeologists have long used carbon-14 dating (also known as radiocarbon dating) to estimate the age of certain objects.

What are the applications of carbon-14?

The isotope also is used as a tracer in following the course of particular carbon atoms through chemical or biological transformations. In carbon-14 dating, measurements of the amount of carbon-14 present in an archaeological specimen, such as a tree, are used to estimate the specimens age.