Final answer:
The half-life in Carbon-14 dating is the time it takes for half of the original concentration of the Carbon-14 isotope to decay to its more stable form. This method can be used to determine the age of biological materials up to about 50,000 years old.
Step-by-step explanation:
The half-life in Carbon-14 dating is the time it takes for half of the original concentration of the Carbon-14 isotope to decay to its more stable form, Carbon-12. Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5730 years.
In Carbon-14 dating, the ratio of Carbon-14 to Carbon-12 in an object is compared to the ratio observed in living things. By measuring this ratio, the number of half-lives that have passed since new Carbon-14 was absorbed by the object can be calculated, which allows the age of the object to be determined.
Carbon-14 dating can be used for biological materials up to about 50,000 years old, but is most accurate for younger samples.