Radiometric dating methods
Revision as of 06:56, 24 July 2013 by (username removed)
Description
A technique for dating rocks and artifacts based on the known decay rates of radioactive elements such as uranium, thorium, and carbon-14. Decays rates are measured as half-lives, i.e., the time it takes a radioactive element to decay by one-half its original concentration. The half life of carbon-14 is 5730 years while that of uranium-238 is 4.5 billion years. Radiocarbon, or carbon-14, dating is used to date organic materials that are less than 70,000 years old. Potassium-argon and potassium strontium dating are used to date rocks.
See also radiocarbon dating.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Radiometrische Datierungsverfahren (Deut.); méthodes radiométriques de datation (Fr.); radioactive dating