How do scientists use relative dating?

Answer 1

Radiometric dating--the process of determining the age of rocks from the decay of their radioactive elements--has been in widespread use for over half a century. Relative dating is used to determine the relative ages of geologic strata, artifacts, historical events, etc.

Answer 2

Geologists use relative dating techniques because they are more simple. It is easier to figure out the half-life of an organism or element than it is to figure out the exact year it was alive or used.

Answer 3

They can use carbon dating. It means they see how much carbon 14 (an isotope of carbon) is left in the fossil, and subtract it from how much it would have started with to get the amount it has decayed. When it has decayed by half it is known as a half-life. They can calculate how many half-lives have passed and then find the age of the artifact! :)

Answer 4

Relative dating is how scientists determine how old a species is by looking at the undisturbed layers of rock. The deeper down the layer is the older the fossil is. (:

Answer 5

with a microscope and by going up in space!

Answer 6

By comparing other fossils but they don't give a year just comparing with other fossils.

Answer 7

which fossils are oldest, which are youngest, so it tells them which extinct animals had lived in an ancien time period, and which extinct animals have lived more recently..

Answer 8

by seeing what levels the fossil go to