Relative and Absolute Dating

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What is absolute dating?

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A method used to determine the exact age of a rock or fossil in years, often using radiometric techniques.

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What is relative dating?

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A method used to determine the age of rocks or fossils in relation to one another, without providing a specific numerical age.

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What is radiometric dating?

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

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What is the Law of Superposition?

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A principle stating that in undisturbed sedimentary rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest are at the top.

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What is a half-life?

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The time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.

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How does absolute age differ from relative age?

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Absolute age provides a specific age in years, while relative age indicates whether one rock is older or younger than another.

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What is the significance of layer matching in geology?

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Matching layers between different locations helps geologists understand the geological history and correlate rock formations.

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What is the purpose of using the Law of Superposition in relative dating?

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To determine the chronological order of rock layers and the fossils within them.

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What is an example of a radiometric dating method?

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Carbon-14 dating, used to date organic materials up to about 50,000 years old.

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What does it mean if a layer is described as 'younger' than another layer?

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It means that the younger layer was deposited after the older layer.