Source: https://guthlabs.ai/docs/instruments/radiocarbon-c-14-age-with-calibration-note/

instrument / verified-clean

# Radiocarbon (C-14) Age with Calibration Note

The current ledger marks this instrument verified clean within the source-bound verification corpus.

Status: **VERIFIED_CLEAN**Lifecycle: **verified-clean**

## Inspectable records

[01**Overview**Purpose and lifecycle](<https://guthlabs.ai/docs/instruments/radiocarbon-c-14-age-with-calibration-note/>)[02**Mechanism**Method and assumptions](<https://guthlabs.ai/docs/instruments/radiocarbon-c-14-age-with-calibration-note/mechanism/>)[03**Implementation**Binding and validation](<https://guthlabs.ai/docs/instruments/radiocarbon-c-14-age-with-calibration-note/implementation/>)[04**Qualification**Evidence and errata](<https://guthlabs.ai/docs/instruments/radiocarbon-c-14-age-with-calibration-note/qualification/>)

## Ledger state

The current ledger marks this instrument verified clean within the source-bound verification corpus.

**Area**: Earth & Space (astronomy, orbital mechanics, meteorology, geology, geodesy, oceanography)

**Tranche**: tranche-5

**Evidence ID**: t5-027

**Ledger rows**: 1

No ledger note is attached.

## Review findings

The algebra and Libby convention are standard, but the instrument needs an explicit pMC-versus-ratio input mode, conversion rule, and domain behavior before release. The honest label must prominently state: uncalibrated conventional radiocarbon age only; real dates require an external calibration curve that is not bundled.

### Formula and scope findings

- The formula t = 8033·ln(1/f) is correct for conventional radiocarbon age when f is a dimensionless fraction modern ratio under the Libby 5568-year half-life convention.

- The input description is ambiguous: pMC means percent modern carbon and must be converted as f = pMC/100, whereas a ratio is already f. The panel must require an input mode or clearly define the conversion.

- The valid mathematical domain and interpretation are not specified: 0 < f <= 1 gives nonnegative conventional ages; f > 1 gives a negative conventional age, and f <= 0 is invalid or divergent.

### Unit assumptions

- 8033 years is the Libby mean-life constant, approximately 5568/ln(2), and the output is in years.

- f is dimensionless; ratio inputs are used directly, while pMC inputs are divided by 100.

- BP is conventional radiocarbon years before 1950 CE, not a calendar date.

- The result is uncalibrated; calendar-age conversion requires an appropriate calibration curve such as IntCal.

## Boundary hardening

**BREAK_CLAIMED** · SELF_FLAGGED

The raw formula has an undefined input at f=0 and produces a mathematically finite but physically invalid negative age for f>1. A robust instrument must reject those inputs. The pMC-versus-ratio convention is also hazardous unless the representation is explicitly declared.

## Errata and corrections

No applied erratum is attached to this unique-name record.

## Inspectable example

4 review vectors are recorded. One source-bound sample is shown below.

````
{
  "inputs": {
    "input_mode": "pMC",
    "value": 100
  },
  "expected_outputs": {
    "fraction_modern": 1,
    "conventional_age_BP_years": 0
  },
  "working": "Convert pMC to fraction: f = 100/100 = 1. Compute 1/f = 1/1 = 1. ln(1) = 0. Therefore t = 8033 × 0 = 0 years BP."
}
````

## Related workflows

No source-defined multi-instrument workflow membership is recorded.

## Sources and evidence

These pointers bind the page to evidence. They do not grant authority or collapse verification into deployment.

- `VERIFIED_LEDGER.json · VERIFIED_CLEAN`

- `evidence-tranche5/tranche5-results.json`

- `BOUNDARY_HAZARD_CATALOG.json`