answersLogoWhite

0

Through geological dating and stratigraphy. Also, they use Uranium Dating.

By measuring the amount of Uranium contained within the specific rock/fossil. Uranium-238's Half-Life is about 4.47 billion years, So each 4.47 billion years, the amount of Uranium is reduced by half. If the accepted amount of Uranium for a time period is 25%, and the sample contains 12.5%, then it is twice as old as that time period. Scientists cannot use carbon dating on rocks because they were never living things, and did not inhale carbon-14 from the atmosphere.

User Avatar

Minerva Orn

Lvl 13
2y ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Natural Sciences
Related Questions

How do you tell how old a fossil is by the rock layer?

You can determine the relative age of a fossil by looking at the position of the fossil in the rock layers. The closer a fossil is to the surface, the younger it is relative to fossils found deeper in the layers. To determine the absolute age of a fossil, scientists use radiometric dating techniques on the surrounding rocks to determine the age of the rock layer the fossil is found in.


How do scientists use sedimentary rock to determine a fossils relative age?

Scientists can use sedimentary rock to determine a fossil's relative age by examining the layers in which the fossil is found. The principle of superposition states that in an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rock layers, the oldest layer is at the bottom and the youngest layer is at the top. By identifying the layer in which the fossil is located, scientists can approximate its relative age compared to other fossils and rock layers.


Could you tell the relative age of a fossil if layers of rock have been shifted by earthquake?

No, determining the relative age of a fossil relies on its position within the layers of rock, known as stratigraphy. If layers have been disrupted by an earthquake, it becomes challenging to establish the sequence of deposition accurately, making it difficult to determine the fossil's relative age relative to other fossils.


Which feature of a sedimentary rock if present would most likely to help a scientist determine its age?

A fossil contained in the tock


How can fossils be used to determine the relative ages of rock?

If we know the age the respective organism is known to have occupied a certain region in the geologic past we can then correlate that to the rock its fossil was found in and consequently deduce the rock's relative age.


Could you tell the relative age of a fossil if layers of rock have been shifted by earthquakes?

No, the relative age of a fossil cannot be determined solely by observing the shifting of rock layers caused by earthquakes. Relative dating relies on the principle of superposition, which states that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest layer is at the bottom and the youngest is at the top. If rock layers have been shifted, additional dating techniques would be needed to determine the relative age of the fossil.


What does relative dating provide for the age of a rock layer or fossil?

Relative dating provides an estimated age of a rock layer or fossil based on its position in relation to other rock layers or fossils. It helps determine the sequence of events in Earth's history, but does not provide an exact numerical age.


What is the relative age of a fossil starfish?

the relative age of the rock where it was found.


When you know the relative age of a fossil what else do you know about it?

the relative age of the rock where it was found.


A scientist compares the layers of sedimentary rock in a hillside and then applies the principles of relative dating What can the scientist conclude about the hillside?

The scientist can use the principles of relative dating to determine the sequence of events that formed the layers of sedimentary rock. By comparing the different layers and their position within the hillside, the scientist can infer the relative ages of the layers and make conclusions about the geological history of the hillside, such as which layers were deposited first and how the landscape has changed over time.


What do geologists use to determine the relative ages of a rock?

Relative dating refers to the process of determining the age of a rock, feature, or fossil by comparing it to the rocks around it. To use relative dating, you need to look at the order each rock layer was deposited.


What is the fossil called that geologists use to determine rock ages?

Index Fossil