The most abundant, carbon-12, remains stable in the atmosphere. On the other hand, carbon-14 is radioactive and decays into nitrogen-14 over time. Every 5,730 years, the radioactivity of carbon-14 decays by half. That half-life is critical to radiocarbon dating.

Is carbon-14 the most common isotope?

By far the most common isotope of carbon is carbon-12 (12C), which contains six neutrons in addition to its six protons. The rare carbon-14 (14C) isotope contains eight neutrons in its nucleus. Unlike 12C and 13C, this isotope is unstable, or radioactive. Over time, a 14C atom will decay into a stable product.

Is carbon-14 used to date rocks?

The carbon-14 method was developed by the American physicist Willard F. Libby about 1946. It has proved to be a versatile technique of dating fossils and archaeological specimens from 500 to 50,000 years old.