Prices start at just $126 for radiocarbon analysis of previously prepared graphite, and increase to $460 for a standard analysis including a common extraction protocol (used for sub-fossil charcoal, peat, seeds and others).

Is carbon-14 radiocarbon dating an example of beta decay?

Carbon-12 and carbon-13 are both stable, while carbon-14 is unstable and has a half-life of 5,730 ± 40 years. Carbon-14 decays into nitrogen-14 through beta decay .Carbon-14.GeneralDecay modeDecay energy (MeV)Beta0.156476Isotopes of carbon Complete table of nuclides10 more rows

Why is beta used in carbon dating?

Every living organism contains the radioisotope carbon-14. Carbon-14 decays by beta-emission and has a half-life of 5730 years. This means that the beta-decay emissions can be monitored and the data used to calculate how long it has been since the material was alive.

Why do we use carbon 14 dating?

Carbon-14 dating is a way of determining the age of certain archeological artifacts of a biological origin up to about 50,000 years old. It is used in dating things such as bone, cloth, wood and plant fibers that were created in the relatively recent past by human activities.