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K-Ar dating, or potassium-argon dating, is based on the radioactive decay of potassium-40 (K-40) to argon-40 (Ar-40). As volcanic rocks and minerals form, they typically contain potassium but little to no argon. Over time, K-40 decays into Ar-40 at a known rate (its half-life is about 1.25 billion years), allowing scientists to measure the ratio of K-40 to Ar-40 in a sample to determine its age. This method is particularly useful for dating geological events and is effective for samples that are millions of years old.

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1w ago

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