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Evidence About Earth’s Past (Book)

ABSOLUTE AGES OF ROCKS

The age of a rock in years is its absolute age. Absolute ages are much different from relative ages. The way of determining them is different, too. Absolute ages are determined by radiometric methods, such as carbon-14 dating. These methods depend on radioactive decay.

Standards

SCI-MS.ESS1.04 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth’s 4.6-billion-year-old history.

Vocabulary

Lesson Objectives

  • Describe radioactive decay.
  • Explain radiometric dating.