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From a granite, a common mineral used for radiometric dating is the biotite mica component. For this mineral is among the last to form - as it forms at the lowest temperature compared to the other components of granite.
This mineral contains potassium, 40K, which may be dated by the Potassium-Argon method. By radioactive decay, a small portion of the 40K decays to Argon. (The remainder of the potassium decays to a Calcium.)
This Ar component is held in the mineral crystal, and by measuring the quantities of K and Ar, the age of the biotite is determined. [to an accuracy of about 1%.] For none of the Ar would be entrained in the previous molten state.
All the K in your body is also susceptible to this decay!
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∙ 10y ago
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∙ 9y agoIgneous rocks are the best type of rock to be used when doing radiometric dating. Igneous rocks are formed when magma and lava that have been cooled.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoIgneous and metamorphic
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoOnly Igneous Rocks
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What is the difference between relative-age dating and absolute-age dating?
The difference between relative dating and absolute dating is that relative dating is a method of sequencing events in the order in which they happened. Absolute dating is a method of estimating the age of a rock sample in years via radiometric techniques.Short Answer:The term relative dating is distinguished from absolute dating to make it clear that one does not get a specific estimate of the age of an object from relative dating, but one does get such an estimate of true age from absolute dating. There are several techniques employed in both sets of methods. Radiometric dating is one type of absolute dating.Long Answer:Sciences such as geology, Paleontology and archeology are very interested in identifying the age of objects found and these scientists sometimes use both relative dating or absolute dating to characterize the age of the objects they study.Before radiometric dating (or other methods of absolute dating like counting tree rings) it was difficult to determine the actual age of an object. Radiometric dating, based on known rates of decay of radioactive isotopes in objects, allows a specific age of an object to be determined to some degree of accuracy.Relative dating is a scientific process of evaluation used to determine the relative order of past events, but does not determine the absolute age of an object. The circumstances of the object may allow one to say that one object is older than another without being able to assign a particular age to the objects. Very often historical evidence is found in layers and older layers are further down that the top layers.For example:If an archaeologist is studying past civilizations, the archaeologist may be able to say that in a particular location the ruins of one civilization were found to have been built on another and so the layers unearthed in an excavation convey the sequence of historical occupations without revealing the actual dates. However, carbon dating is an absolute dating technique that can give an estimate of the actual age of an artifact and thus an estimate of the age of other objects in the same layer. Carbon dating is one example of radiometric dating.Similarly, relative dating is done by paleontologists who find layers of fossils. By deducing which fossils are formed in the sequence of time, the periods when the particular fossilized entities existed can be arranged in order without the actual dates of when the fossils were laid down. The radiometric techniques that give absolute dating estimates are based on radioactive decay of elements such as uranium.For geologists, it is similar. Looking at how rock formations are structured, a geologist may be able to say which rock was developed in which layer in a particular order but not be able to determine that actual geologic age of the layers. Geologists also have radiometric methods for absolute dating based on radioactive decay of certain elements.
How reliable is fossil evidence?
The answer depends on how the word 'reliable' is interpreted in the question:(1) Is the fossil evidence 'reliable' in interpreting the history of life on Earth?Fossil evidence IS our understanding of the history of life. Fossils on which this understanding is based include skeletons, roots, leaves, bark, chemical signatures, imprints, carbon residues, burrowing and trail marks, petrified wood, footprints, eggs, gastric stones, fecal matter, and many others, found preserved mainly in stone, but sometimes in ice. There are many ways that fossils can be formed. They include freezing, carbonization, petrification, mineral replacement, unaltered preservation,recrystallization, andauthigenicpreservation.The fossil record of life recorded in rock is full of periods of intense diversification, appearances of new lifeforms, and extinction events that affected large percentages of the biota on a worldwide scale.(2) Are the modern methods used to determine the age of the fossil 'reliable'?Radiometric dating of rock involves the measurement of the amount of decay in radioactive elements which are present in the rock. Radioactive elements decay at unique rates, depending on the isotope. This rate of decay is known as half-lives; it is the time necessary for ½ of the atoms to decay in a particular element. The decay follows a geometric scale, in that in the first half-life of an element, ½ of the atoms decay, yet in the second half-life, ½ of those remaining decay and so forth. By measuring this decay, and knowing the half life of an element, scientists can date a sample. Radiometric dating is particularly useful in dating igneous and metamorphic rock, but not so much for sedimentary rocks and fossils.Because of geologic events such as plate tectonics and volcanism, suitable material for radiometric dating, such as volcanic tuff, solidified lava, and igneous intrusions have been found as layers on, in, and cut through layers of sedimentary rock and fossils. Intrusions are always younger than the rock body they penetrate, meaning that the sedimentary rock in which intrusions are found will be older than a radiometrically dated sample of the intrusion. Lava flows and volcanic ash which form layers in rock will be younger than the rock below and older than the rock above. The solidified intrusions and lava flows can be dated with radiometric techniques.The radiometric dating of suitable rocks (i.e. igneous or metamorphic) in proximity to their sedimentary counterparts, therefore allows the sedimentary rock to be dated as well. Radiometric dating techniques are constantly being refined and improved with a resulting increase in accuracy and date range.Scientific inquiry and the scientific method have contributed greatly to our lives in the fields of electronics, physics, engineering, chemistry, manufacturing, and medicine. This same scientific method is being used in genetics and Earth sciences to broaden our knowledge and understanding of Earth's history, including the origin and evolution of life.
If the fossil is to old to use uranium 235 dating?
Uranium dating methods were not used for fossils dating.
What animal swallows rocks to aid digestion?
Birds swallow very small rocks that are used by their gizzards to grind their food.
What are the two different types of magazines used on firearms?
There are a few different types of magazines used on firearms. Two types of magazines for firearms are box magazines and drum magazines.
What is dating used to date ancient rocks millions of years old?
Radiometric
Why can't radiometric dating be used with accuracy on metamorphic rocks?
An accurate radiometric date can be obtained only if the mineral remained a closed system during the entire period since its formation this is why radiometric dating can't be used with accuracy.
Techniques used to date the Turin Shroud and rocks?
It's called radiometric dating.
What is the best method of radiometric dating?
Radiometric dating is the principal source of information about the absolute age of rocks and other geological features, including the age of the Earth itself, and can be used to date a wide range of natural and man-made materials.
Can use radiometric dating on all minerals to tell their absolute age?
No, radiometric dating can only be used on certain minerals that contain radioactive isotopes. These minerals include zircon, potassium feldspar, and biotite, among others. Not all minerals contain radioactive isotopes, so radiometric dating cannot be applied to all minerals.
What is a rock's radiometric clock?
Radiometric dating (often called radioactive dating) is a technique used to date materials such as rocks, usually based on a comparison between the observed abundance of a naturally occurring radioactive isotope and its decay products, using known decay rates. The use of radiometric dating was first published in 1907 by Bertram Boltwood and is now the principal source of information about the absolute age of rocks and other geological features, including the age of the Earth itself, and can be used to date a wide range of natural and man-made materials. Together with stratigraphic principles, radiometric dating methods are used in geochronology to establish the geological time scale. Among the best-known techniques are radiocarbon dating, potassium-argon datingand uranium-lead dating. By allowing the establishment of geological timescales, it provides a significant source of information about the ages of fossils and the deduced rates of evolutionary change. Radiometric dating is also used to date archaeological materials, including ancient artifacts.Different methods of radiometric dating vary in the timescale over which they are accurate and the materials to which they can be applied.
Is carbon 14 dating radiometric dating?
Carbon 14 dating is one tpye of radiometric dating. It is used for destermiing the age of samples of one-living entities. See related links for more information.
How is radioactive decay used to date rocks?
Radioactive decay is used to date rocks by measuring the amount of parent and daughter isotopes in a sample. The rate of decay of a radioactive isotope is constant, allowing scientists to calculate the age of a rock by comparing the ratios of parent and daughter isotopes present. This technique is known as radiometric dating and can be used to determine the age of rocks millions to billions of years old.
What evidence indicates our solar system is about 4.5 billion years old?
The age of the Solar System HAS TO BE at least as much as that of the oldest rocks found on Earth, other planets, or asteroids (if you assume that those rocks come from the Solar System) - and that's what has been found. And that's the approximate age of the oldest rocks found. The main methods used rely on radiometric dating. For more information, check the Wikipedia (or other sources) for:* Age of the Earth* Radiometric dating
Can an element that is not radioactive be used for radiometric dating?
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What two methods of radiometric dating are used for rocks more than 10 million years old?
what are two radio active isotopes that are usful for dating rocks that are older than ten million years
What technology is used carbon dating?
This a radiometric determination based on carbon-14.
