How Does Radiometric Dating work? (Video)

When was the carving of Mount Rushmore completed?

• 1.7 billion years ago

• 4.4 billion years ago

• 4.5 billion years ago

• 1941

What technique is used to tell the age of certain types of rock?

• Chemical testing

• Isotope analysis

• Radiometric dating

• Carbon dating

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

What is the half-life of Carbon-14?

• 100 million years

• 5730 years

• 4.5 billion years

• 1.7 billion years

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Which isotope is used to date things as old as the solar system itself?

• Uranium-238

• Lead

• Uranium-235

• Carbon-14

What are isotopes?

• Different versions of an atom with extra neutrons in them.

• Different versions of an atom with extra protons in them.

• Different versions of an atom with extra ions in them.

• Different versions of an atom with extra electrons in them.

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

What is a half life?

• Half of the time it takes for an element to form.

• The amount of time it takes for one half of an isotope to decay.

• The age of a rock when it is half dead.

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

What mineral is mentioned as an excellent time capsule for trapping isotopes?

• Quartz

• Zircon

• Sandstone

• Diamond

Why can't sandstone be used in most dating techniques?

• It's too young

• It doesn't trap isotopes in "cages"

• It decays too quickly

• It's not found on Earth

What other method is mentioned for determining the age of objects, besides radiometric dating?

• Observing star positions

• Calculating soil erosion

• Measuring water depth

• Counting tree rings

What proves the reliability of radiometric dating?

• It only requires a small sample size

• It can date any type of rock

• It's consistent with other dating methods like tree rings and ice layers

• It matches with historical records