The method of Absolute Dating using Radiometric measures is most accurate as it provides an approximate, but yet also more accurate result, compared to relative dating which is only comparing the age of one fossil to others locally and globally, which does not define the age at all.
The age of fossils would ordinarily be determined by looking up the type of fossil in a record system known as Paleontology. Due to various changes in the Earth's climate and environment, most fossils have only a limited age range.
The reasons for the limited age range for various fossils is incompletely known, but the general pattern is well known.
A second approach is based on the idea that the sediment layers near the top of a earth column are younger than those at the bottom. This was the only approach available to early fossil hunters. It has the fancy name of "the principle of superposition" - i.e. things at the top are younger!
A third approach is to consider dating using radioactive techniques. Carbon dating is used for this, but for technical reasons samples older than 60 000 years may not produce reliable results.
So radiocarbon (as it is known) is very useful for Archaeology, but not much older.
Some of the information below (from another contributor) is wrong, as C12 and C13 are naturally occurring items, and are NOT radioactive.
Carbon dating techniques
For nearby stars, the parallax method gives the most accurate measure of distances.For nearby stars, the parallax method gives the most accurate measure of distances.For nearby stars, the parallax method gives the most accurate measure of distances.For nearby stars, the parallax method gives the most accurate measure of distances.
Which of these dating methods is capable of giving the most accurate age of an artifact?
Radiometric measurement is based on the decay of certain elements, the rate of which is a known scientific fact.
Age at death estimates from the skull are based on the extent to which the various bones of the cranium have fused together. Unfortunately its been shown that the rate at which this fusion takes place is fairly variable, meaning the method is not that accurate. Where teeth remain these provide a far more accurate indicator. In practice the most accurate calculations come from taking age at death estimates based on as much of the skeleton as is available, and so studies of just the skull, especially without teeth can only provide a rough estimate at best.
A standardized pH meter would be the preferred method to used.
Carbon-14 dating would be the most appropriate radiometric dating method for dating artifacts found at effigy mounds. This method is commonly used for dating organic materials such as wood, charcoal, or bone, which are typically found in archaeological sites like effigy mounds.
The uranium-lead method
Radiocarbon dating is a commonly used dating method for organic materials up to about 50,000 years old. It is based on the decay rate of carbon-14 isotopes. Potassium-argon dating is another method used for dating rocks and minerals, providing accurate dates for materials over longer time scales, up to billions of years.
No. Absolute dating is the most precise method for dating rock. Absolute dating relies on the known rate of decay of radioactive elements present in the rock to arrive at a fairly precise age.
For nearby stars, the parallax method gives the most accurate measure of distances.For nearby stars, the parallax method gives the most accurate measure of distances.For nearby stars, the parallax method gives the most accurate measure of distances.For nearby stars, the parallax method gives the most accurate measure of distances.
Two major methods of dating artifacts or fossils are relative dating, which determines the age of an object in relation to other objects, and radiometric dating, which uses the decay of radioactive isotopes in the object to calculate its age.
Scientists use various methods to date artifacts. One common method is radiocarbon dating, which measures the amount of carbon-14 remaining in organic material to estimate its age. Other techniques include thermoluminescence dating, which measures the amount of radiation absorbed by minerals to determine when they were last heated, and dendrochronology, which analyzes tree-ring patterns to date wooden artifacts. Additionally, archaeologists may also use stratigraphy, which involves studying the layers of soil and rock where the artifact was found, to establish its relative age.
Radiocarbon dating is advantageous in archaeology because it provides a timeframe for organic materials, such as bone and charcoal, allowing for more accurate dating of artifacts and sites. It is non-destructive, requiring only a small sample, and can be used to date materials up to around 50,000 years old. Additionally, radiocarbon dating is widely accepted and has a high level of accuracy when calibrated with other dating methods.
Carbon dating
Because most fossils are found in rock strata, the method for dating them is the same--measuring the amount of decay of an isotope.
Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry is the most accurate method of measuring body fat composition. This method is more commonly referred to as DEXA.Hydrostatic weighing
perhaps, radioactive... :)