Radiometric Dating

Definition

Radiometric dating is a technique used by scientists to date rocks and other materials by comparing the abundance of parent isotopes with daughter isotopes. This method relies on our knowledge about radioactive decay rates.

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, and consequently in nucleon number.

Absolute Dating: A method used by geologists to determine the actual age of a rock or fossil using radiometric dating techniques.