Absolute Dating L3

Front

What is radiocarbon dating?

Back

A method used to determine the age of organic remains, such as wood, bones, and shells, by measuring the amount of carbon-14 present.

Front

What does half-life mean?

Back

The time required for half of a sample of a radioactive substance to decay into daughter isotopes.

Front

What are index fossils?

Back

Fossils that are used to estimate the absolute age of the rock layers in which they are found.

Front

What is a daughter isotope?

Back

The stable isotope that is formed when a radioactive isotope undergoes decay.

Front

What is absolute age?

Back

The actual age in years of an event or object.

Front

What is radiometric dating?

Back

A technique used to date materials by comparing the abundance of a radioactive isotope to its decay products.

Front

What is a parent isotope?

Back

The original radioactive isotope that undergoes decay to form daughter isotopes.

Front

How do scientists use half-life in dating?

Back

Scientists use the known half-lives of radioactive isotopes to calculate the age of materials.

Front

What is the significance of carbon-14 in dating?

Back

Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope used in radiocarbon dating to determine the age of organic materials.

Front

What are trace fossils?

Back

Fossils that provide evidence of the activities of ancient organisms, such as footprints or burrows.