TERMIUM Plus®

The Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank.

CARBONE-14 [2 records]

Record 1 - external organization data 2011-07-11

English

Subject field(s)
  • Chemistry
  • Compartment - Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
DEF

A naturally occurring radioisotope of carbon having a mass number of 14 and half-life of 5780 years; used in radiocarbon dating and in the elucidation of the metabolic path of carbon in photosynthesis.

CONT

Radioactive carbon 14 is continuously produced in the upper atmosphere by the action of cosmic rays on non-radioactive Nitrogen 14.

OBS

According to the Oxford English Dictionary and the Webster Third New International Dictionary of the English Language "radiocarbon" refers to any radioactive isotope of carbon and hence has a more general sense than "carbon-14". They point out, however, that "radiocarbon" refers specifically to the carbon-14 isotope. All the other sources consulted do not make that distinction and give those terms as perfect synonyms, which, we feel, reflects the current usage.

OBS

Symbol: C14 or14C.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Chimie
  • Tiroir - Commission canadienne de sûreté nucléaire
DEF

Isotope radioactif du carbone, de nombre de masse 14, qui prend régulièrement naissance dans l'atmosphère sous l'influence du rayonnement cosmique.

OBS

Symbole du carbone 14 :14</sup> C.

OBS

Ce corps radioactif permet de déterminer l’âge des charbons naturels, des fossiles, du carbone dans l’acier, dans le caoutchouc et la répartition de médicaments marqués dans le corps.

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Química
  • Compartimiento - Comisión Canadiense de Seguridad Nuclear
DEF

Isótopo de carbono radiactivo de número de masa 14. Período de semidesintegración, 5.580 años; radiación beta. Tóxico.

Save record 1

Record 2 2004-04-01

English

Subject field(s)
  • Chronology
  • Radiological Physics (Theory and Application)
DEF

Calculating an age in years for geologic materials by measuring the presence of a short-life radioactive element, e.g. carbon-14, or by measuring the presence of a long-life radioactive element plus its decay product, e.g. potassium-40/argon-40.

OBS

The term applies to all methods of age determination based on nuclear decay of naturally occurring radioactive isotopes.

OBS

radioactive dating: term standardized by ISO.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Chronologie
  • Physique radiologique et applications
DEF

Détermination de l'âge d’un objet ou d’une matière d’après son contenu en nucléides radioactifs(uranium, carbone-14, potassium-40, etc.) et, le cas échéant, en leurs produits de désintégration.

OBS

Connaissant la période de désintégration d’un élément et la quantité d’élément radioactif et radiogénique, on peut calculer le temps écoulé depuis la cristallisation du minéral qui a fixé l’élément radioactif.

OBS

datation radioactive : terme normalisé par l’ISO.

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Cronología
  • Física radiológica (Teoría y aplicación)
DEF

Método de determinación de la edad del agua basado en la propiedad de desintegración radiactiva de los isótopos.

Save record 2

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