![]() That allows them to measure the age of an organic piece of matter - whether that's an animal skin or skeleton, ash or a tree ring - by measuring the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 left in it and comparing that quantity to the carbon-14 half-life. Scientists know how long it takes for half of a given quantity of carbon-14 to decay - a length of time called a half-life. When living things die, they stop taking in carbon-14 and the amount that's left in their body starts the slow process of radioactive decay.
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