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What radioactive technique is used to determine the age of fossils?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
What radioactive technique is used to determine the age of fossils? The radioactive technique of radiometric dating is used to determine the age of fossils. This is a way to measure the proportions of a daughter isotope and the parent radioisotope of some element trapped inside a rock since the time the rock formed. A radioisotope is a form of an element with an unstable nucleus. Radioactive atoms decay, or lose energy and subatomic particles until they reach a more stable form. It is not possible to predict the exact instant of one atom's decay, but a predictable number of an isotope's atoms will decay over a period of time. Like the ticking of a perfect clock, the characteristic rate of decay for each isotope is constant. In other words, changes in pressure, temperature, or chemical state do not alter it. Radiometric dating doesn't work for sedimentary rock. It works for volcanic rock or ashes, which hold the most fossils. The ratio of carbon 14 to carbon 12 is used to date recent fossils that still contain some carbon. The only way to date older fossils is to determine their position relative to any volcanic rocks in the same area. This dating method has an error factor of less than 10 percent.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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What are index fossils and how are they used to determine the absolute age of sedimentary rock?
Index fossils can be used to help determine the relative age of rock layers. Index fossils are from species that only existed for a short time. Index fossils are found in rock layers. Trilobites and Graptolites are index fossils.
What are the fallacies of fossil dating?
One of the biggest fallacies of fossil dating is that they use the rock layer to help determine the age of the fossils, but the fossils are also used to help determine the age of the rock layer.
What is the technique in which natural laws govern the way geologists determine the age of rock deposits?
Relative Dating is the technique used to determine the age of rock deposits by natural forces.
How do trace fossils differ from index fossils?
Trace fossils are any evidences that an organism existed, including footprints, trails, burrows, chemical marker, and fossilized dung.Index fossils are those that are only found in a specific range of geologic time, and are used to quickly determine the age of a sedimentary rock sample.
How can radioactive half-life be used to date fossils?
Depending on the estimated age of the fossil, a specific isotope can be traced and measured. When a scientist knows the existing amount of the radioactive isotope, the half-life is used in the form of exponential functions to determine the amount of time the fossil must have existed outside of the body in order to lose the amount of material that has been lost over time. This can be done because scientists normally know how much of the isotope should exist in the fossil when it was first created
What property of radioactive isotopes allow them to be used to determine the age of rocks and fossils?
Their half life.
How do radioactive elements be used to date fossils?
brick
What two methods are used to determine the age of a rock?
The two methods are relative dating and radioactive dating for fossils. I think it's the same for rocks.
What radioactive carbon isotope is used in dating fossils?
Carbon-14.
Can fossils be used to determine the relative ages of rocks layers?
fossils can be used to determine the relative age of rock layer by using the classification of fossils to find the relative ages of rocks in which fossils are found. :] hoped i helped you out.
How many neutrons does carbon has when the radioactive nuclide used in dating fossils?
9
How can fossills be used to determine the relative ages of rock layers?
fossils can be used to determine the relative age of rock layer by using the classification of fossils to find the relative ages of rocks in which fossils are found. :] hoped i helped you out.
What are index fossils and how are they used to determine the absolute age of sedimentary rocks?
Index fossils can be used to help determine the relative age of rock layers. Index fossils are from species that only existed for a short time. Index fossils are found in rock layers. Trilobites and Graptolites are index fossils.
What are index fossils and how are they used to determine the absolute age of sedimentary rock?
Index fossils can be used to help determine the relative age of rock layers. Index fossils are from species that only existed for a short time. Index fossils are found in rock layers. Trilobites and Graptolites are index fossils.
What are index fossils used to determine?
time frames in geology
____ fossils are used to determine in what time in the past events occured?
Index
How are rock layers used to determine the relative ages of fossils?
The Principle of Superposition argues that rock layers towards the top are younger than those at the bottom. This was the principal technique used in the early days.Fossils have discontinuities - a group will appear, and after a time will vanish again. But very similar fossils appear around the world at the same time.This subject paleontology, has good records, and a newly found fossil can usually be identified by comparison with the paleontological record.Today of course, radiometric dating is used very widely to determine the age of both rocks themselves, and of fossils. These techniques use the half-life of radioactive elements to determine the age.
