Radioactive dating

Definition

Radioactive dating is a technique used to determine the age of materials by measuring the decay rate of a radioactive isotope within them. It relies on the known half-lives of these isotopes to calculate elapsed time since formation.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Radioactive dating uses isotopes such as carbon-14, uranium-238, and potassium-40.
2. The accuracy of radioactive dating depends on accurate knowledge of the half-life of the isotope used.
3. Half-life is defined as the time it takes for half of a given amount of a radioactive substance to decay.
4. Carbon-14 dating is commonly used for organic materials up to about 50,000 years old.
5. Uranium-lead dating can be used to date rocks that are millions to billions of years old.

Related terms

Half-Life: The time required for half of the atoms in a sample of a radioactive isotope to decay.

Isotope:

Variants of a particular chemical element which differ in neutron number but share the same number of protons.

Radiocarbon Dating: A method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon (carbon-14).