Carbon dating is a method used to determine the age of ancient objects by measuring the remaining carbon-14 (C-14) content. The half-life of C-14 is approximately 6000 years, meaning that after each half-life, the amount of C-14 is halved. For example, starting with 32 grams of C-14, after 12000 years (or two half-lives), 8 grams would remain. To find out how long it takes for 32 grams to reduce to 2 grams, four half-lives are needed, equating to 24,000 years. Understanding these calculations is essential for accurately determining the age of ancient materials.