ABSOLUTE DATING
Isotopes
Definition:
Isotopes are members of an element family that
have the same number of protons but differ in
the number of neutrons. On the Periodic Table,
the atomic number of an element is determined
by the number of protons in its nucleus.
How is it related to absolute dating
Absolute dating methods determine how much
time has passed since rocks formed by measuring
the radioactive decay of isotopes or the effects of
radiation on the crystal structure of minerals.
APPLICATION
Isotopes are important to geologists because
each radioactive element decays at a constant
rate, which is unique to that element. These rates
of decay are known, so if you can measure the
proportion of parent and daughter isotopes in
rocks now, you can calculate when the rocks
were formed.
Half-life
Definition:
The time it would take for exactly half of a
quantity of an element to degrade is described as
its half-life. The ratio of parent to daughter
isotopes from the inside of a sample can also be
used to determine the age of the sample.
How is it related to absolute dating?
Scientists use the decay of radioactive elements
within the fossils or the rocks around the fossils
to determine the age of the organism that was
preserved. This technique relies on the property
of half-life.
Scientists look at half-life decay rates of
radioactive isotopes to estimate when a
particular atom might decay. A useful application
of half-lives is radioactive dating. This has to do
with figuring out the age of ancient things.
Venn diagram:
Relative and Absolute
RELATIVE DATING ABSOLUTE DATING
Dating

 Finding the estimate age
of an object
 Qualitative method of
dating
 Estimated the order of
geological or prehistoric
events although, it cannot
be used to determine
when these events
occurred
 Provides the age of
remains
 They both give
geologists an idea of
order of geologic
events
 Uses atoms to
determine age
 Helps find the exact age
of an object
 Quantitative method of
dating
 Allows us to estimate the
precise age of old fossils,
rocks, and the earth by
using carbon dating
The causes of having a risk in cardiovascular disease __________

Especially in the start of lockdown, because of no income most of our citezens rely on the government’s reliefs which consists of canned good and instant
noodles