Radiocarbon Dating Formulas
Age (BP) = -8033 * ln(pMC / 100) [Libby]
Age (BP) = -8267 * ln(pMC / 100) [Cambridge]
Mean life = half-life / ln(2)
d13C correction: pMC_corr = pMC * (1 - 2*(d13C + 25)/1000)
Radiocarbon dating measures the decay of carbon-14, which has a half-life of approximately 5,730 years. The conventional radiocarbon age is reported in years Before Present (BP), where "present" is defined as AD 1950. The Libby half-life of 5,568 years is used by convention for reporting radiocarbon ages, even though the Cambridge half-life of 5,730 years is more accurate.