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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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True or False To find the specific age of rocks scientist cannot use radiometric dating?

False. Radiometric dating is a common method used by scientists to determine the age of rocks. By measuring the ratio of radioactive isotopes to stable isotopes in a rock sample, scientists can calculate how long ago the rock formed.


What information did geologists use to develop the geologic time scale?

Geologists used a combination of fossil evidence, rock layers, and radiometric dating techniques to develop the geologic time scale. Fossils provide a record of past life forms, while rock layers indicate the relative ages of different geological events. Radiometric dating allows for assigning numerical ages to specific rock formations.


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.


If the fossil is to old to use uranium 235 dating?

Uranium dating methods were not used for fossils dating.


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.

Related Questions

What are four types of radiometric dating?

Four types of radiometric dating are potassium-argon dating, uranium-lead dating, carbon-14 dating, and rubidium-strontium dating. These methods are commonly used to determine the age of rocks and fossils based on the decay of radioactive isotopes.


What is dating used to date ancient rocks millions of years old?

Radiometric


What are three types of radiometric dating?

Three types of radiometric dating are carbon-14 dating, uranium-lead dating, and potassium-argon dating. These methods are used to determine the age of rocks and fossils by measuring the decay of radioactive isotopes into stable isotopes over time.


What are ingenue rocks the best types of rock samples for radioametric dating?

Igneous rocks are the best types of rock samples for radiometric dating because they form from the cooling and solidification of molten material, which allows for the incorporation of radioactive isotopes at the time of their formation. This provides a clear starting point for measuring the decay of these isotopes over time. The closed system nature of igneous rocks, where no parent or daughter isotopes are lost or gained after formation, enhances the accuracy of dating. Common examples used in radiometric dating include basalt and granite.


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.


What are some of the uses of potassium-40?

Potassium-40 is used in dating rocks and fossils through radiometric dating. It is also used as a tracer to study the movement of potassium in biological systems. Additionally, it is used in medical applications such as in radiation therapy for certain types of cancers.


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.


Can use radiometric dating on all minerals to tell their absolute age?

You can't date all minerals using the radiometric dating method because not all minerals have radioactive isotopes. In addition, the parent and daughter isotopes must remain together in a rock to use them to determine the rock's age. Because sedimentary rocks contain fragments of many rocks that could be different ages, radiometric dating is less useful for dating sedimentary rock. This technique is primarily used to date igneous rocks.


What is sedimentary rock dating?

Sedimentary rock dating refers to methods used to determine the age of sedimentary rocks and the sediments they contain. This is often achieved through relative dating techniques, such as stratigraphy, which examines the layers of rock and their sequence, as well as through radiometric dating of interbedded volcanic layers or fossils within the sediment. By analyzing the position of rock layers and the types of fossils found, geologists can construct a timeline of geological events. However, direct radiometric dating of sedimentary rocks is challenging due to their composite nature.


Techniques used to date the Turin Shroud and rocks?

The Turin Shroud has been dated using radiocarbon dating, which measures the decay of carbon-14 isotopes to determine the age of organic materials. For rocks, scientists use methods like radiometric dating, which measures the decay of radioactive elements like uranium to determine the rocks' age. Other techniques include optically stimulated luminescence dating for sedimentary rocks and thermoluminescence dating for ceramics and burned stones.


True or False To find the specific age of rocks scientist cannot use radiometric dating?

False. Radiometric dating is a common method used by scientists to determine the age of rocks. By measuring the ratio of radioactive isotopes to stable isotopes in a rock sample, scientists can calculate how long ago the rock formed.


What are some problems in dating rocks?

Dating rocks can be challenging due to several factors. First, the methods used, such as radiometric dating, rely on the presence of specific isotopes, which may not be available in all rock types. Additionally, rocks can undergo metamorphism or alteration, potentially resetting their isotopic clocks and leading to inaccurate age estimates. Lastly, the geological context and history of the rock must be well understood to accurately interpret dating results.