* Radioactive Decay: Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope, meaning it decays over time. This decay process transforms carbon-14 into nitrogen-14.
* Half-Life: Carbon-14 has a half-life of about 5,730 years. This means that after 5,730 years, half of the carbon-14 in a sample will have decayed into nitrogen-14.
* Continuous Decay: The decay process continues at a predictable rate, and eventually, all the carbon-14 will decay away.
However, there's a constant replenishment of carbon-14:
* Cosmic Rays: Carbon-14 is constantly being created in the upper atmosphere when cosmic rays collide with nitrogen atoms. This process keeps a relatively stable level of carbon-14 in the Earth's atmosphere and living organisms.
The Takeaway:
While carbon-14 is constantly decaying, it's also constantly being replenished. This creates a balance, and we can use the known decay rate of carbon-14 to date ancient artifacts and fossils. But eventually, if the cosmic ray bombardment were to stop, all the carbon-14 on Earth would eventually disappear through radioactive decay.
