ABSOLUTE DATING

DETERMINING THE
AGE OF ROCKS
RELATIVE DATING

→ putting events or objects in chronological

order without including actual dates or ages.

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ABSOLUTE DATING
→ the process of finding a numeric
age of rocks or fossils using
radiometric dating

RADIOMETRIC DATING
→ Examines the ratio of one
isotope to another in rock to
determine its age

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RADIOACTIVE DECAY
→ Process by which an atomic nucleus of an
unstable atom loses energy

HALF-LIFE
→ time required for half of the atoms in an
element to decay

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 HALF-LIFE
𝑡
1 ℎ
𝑁𝑡 = 𝑁𝑜
2

𝑁𝑡 = Quantity of remaining parent at time t

𝑁𝑜 = Parent’s initial quantity
t = time elapsed
1Τ
h=𝑡 2 = half-life
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