Question

How does radioactive dating allow scientist to accurately date rocks

Answer 1

Answer: Radioactive dating allow us to accurately date rocks  by measuring the quantity of unstable atoms left in a rock and comparing it to the quantity of stable daughter atoms in the rock

Explanation: See, radioactive atoms are unstable. They continuously decay to form stable daughter atoms. When molten rock cools, radioactive atoms are trapped inside. Afterwards, they decay at a predictable rate. By measuring the quantity of unstable atoms left in a rock and comparing it to the quantity of stable daughter atoms in the rock, scientists can estimate the amount of time that has passed since that rock formed.

Some atoms used for radioactive dating are that of carbon, uranium, potassium, etc.,

Sedimentary rocks can be dated using radioactive carbon, but because carbon decays relatively quickly, this only works for rocks younger than about 50 thousand years.

Igneous rocks can be dated using elements that are slow to decay, such as uranium and potassium

Hope it helps!!!

Answer 2

geologists use radiometric dating to estimate how long ago rocks formed, and to infer the ages of fossils contained within those rocks. the methods work because radioactive elements are unstable, and they are always trying to move to a more stable state. so, they do this by giving off radiation. this process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by releasing radiation is called radioactive decay. the thing that makes this decay process so valuable for determining the age of an object is that each radioactive isotope decays at its own fixed rate, which is expressed in terms of its half-life. so, if you know the radioactive isotope found in a substance and the isotope's half-life, you can calculate the age of the substance.