Radiometric Dating Concepts

Absolute age dating provides a numeric age, while relative age dating places events in sequence.

Relative age dating provides a numeric age, while absolute age dating places events in sequence.

Both methods rely on the principle of superposition.

Both methods provide numeric ages.

By counting the number of carbon rings in the fossil.

By observing the fossil's color change over time.

By comparing the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 in the fossil.

By measuring the amount of carbon-12 in the fossil.

Approximately 5,730 years

Approximately 60,000 years

Approximately 1,000 years

Approximately 10,000 years

Principle of superposition

Principle of original horizontality

Principle of cross-cutting relations

Principle of faunal succession

It contains only organic material.

It is composed of fragments of various ages.

It is too soft to analyze.

It does not contain any radioactive isotopes.

Metamorphic rock

Limestone

Igneous rock

Sedimentary rock

It measures the density of the rock.

It determines the color of the rock.

It shows the temperature at which the rock was formed.

It indicates the time taken for half of the radioactive atoms to decay.

1,000,000 years

125,000 years

7133 million years

89,125,000 years

It calculates the rock's density.

It determines the rock's temperature.

It counts the number of atoms of isotopes.

It measures the color of the rock.

Carbon-14

Uranium-238

Lead-206

Nitrogen-14