carbon 14

American  

Also carbon-14

noun

1. radiocarbon.

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carbon 14 Scientific  

1. A naturally occurring radioactive isotope of carbon having six protons and eight neutrons in the nucleus. Carbon 14 is important in dating archaeological and biological remains by radiocarbon dating.

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carbon 14 Cultural  

1. A radioactive isotope of carbon. A carbon 14 atom contains six protons, six electrons, and eight neutrons. Carbon 14 is produced when neutrons bombard atoms of nitrogen.

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Discover More

Carbon 14 is used in a common form of radioactive dating to determine the age of ancient objects.

Etymology

Origin of carbon 14

First recorded in 1935–40

Compare meaning

How does carbon-14 compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• carbon 12 vs. carbon 14

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

carbon 14

Because the carbon 14 analysis is extremely time intensive, the researchers first needed clues about when unusual solar activity may have occurred.

From Science Daily ● May 14, 2026

During especially powerful events, these particles collide with atmospheric gases and create carbon 14 compounds that spread around the globe and become trapped inside living organisms.

From Science Daily ● May 14, 2026

Trees with unusual spikes in carbon 14 can also indicate a Miyake event.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 19, 2023

Miyake’s efforts paid off, however, when the data revealed an anomalously large increase in the concentration of carbon 14 precisely in the year C.E.

From Scientific American ● Mar. 6, 2023

This method is based on the slow decay of radioactive carbon 14, a very minor component of carbon, the ubiquitous building block of life, into the nonradioactive isotope nitrogen 14.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond