1. Absolute Dating

2. Absolute dating – determines the exact age of a rock or other object (contrast to relative dating)
Two methods:
Radiometric dating- uses the rate of decay of isotopes
Radiocarbon dating – uses carbon-14

3. Radiometric Dating
Radioactive decay – breakdown of atomic nuclei into new elements
The radioactive parent material decays into the daughter material
Half-life – the time required for one half of any original number of parent atoms to
decay into daughter atoms

4. Radiometric Dating
Radioactive decay

5. Half-Life

7. Half-life

8. Half-Life of Elements

10. Principle of Uniformitarianism
Earth’s processes occurring today are similar to those that occurred in the past.
Established by James Hutton