Radioactive decay allows geologists and physicists to measure the age of ancient fossils, rocks and even the Earth.This process is called radiometric or radioactive dating.While not all objects have the same isotopes, both living and nonliving objects have some sort of decaying, radioactive isotope that can be used based on known decay rates. An isotope of some sort is located and isolated within an object.That isotope is then compared to its decaying product and scientists are able to use known decay rates to determine how old the initial isotope is.
"Radiocarbon" the journal of record of the field, has been published by the Arizona Board of Regents since 1989.
Some of the different kinds of radioactive atoms used to date objects are shown in the following table: Potassium-Argon Dating Potassium atoms are used to date rocks that have formed from molten rock. Argon is an inert gasit does not chemically bond to other atoms.
Argon in molten rock can just bubble out and escape.
In fact, radiometric dating can be used to determine the age of the Earth, (5.54 billion years old) other planets, and celestial objects.
Radiometric dating is often referred to as “radioactive dating” and “carbon dating,” though many different types of isotopes can be used to identify an object’s age.