Absolute Age Dating

Scientists use radioactive decay to measure...

• relative time
• absolute time
• half-lives
• time of day

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

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

• era
• age
• half-life
• eon

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

How does absolute age differ from relative age?

• only absolute dating indicates which rock is older than another
• only absolute dating finds the age in years
• only relative dating finds the age in years

Radiometric dating is possible because the rates of decay of radioactive isotopes _____.

• change over time
• change from place to place
• are constant
• vary widely

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Scientists use radioactive decay to measure...

• relative time
• absolute time
• half-lives
• time of day

How does absolute age differ from relative age?

• only absolute dating indicates which rock is older than another
• only absolute dating finds the age in years
• only relative dating finds the age in years

An element that has broken down and released particles and energy is said to be _______________.

• radioactive
• subatomic

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Geologists use radioactive dating to determine THE ABSOLUTE AGE OF ROCKS.

• True
• False

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

Scientists use radioactive decay to measure...

• relative time
• absolute time
• half-lives
• time of day

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Why are isotopes with short half-lives not useful for dating very old rocks?

• because not enough of the parent isotope remains to measure accurately
• because not enough of the daughter product has formed to be detectable
• because neither the parent isotope nor the daughter product will be detectable
• because very old rocks would never have contained these isotopes

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8