Radiometric Dating PAESTA放射性 paesta.pptVIP

Absolute Dating by the Use ofRadioactive Isotopes What is Absolute Dating? Age of fossil or rock is given in years instead of relative terms like before and after, early and late. Does not mean it isn’t without error Radiometric dating is the most common type of absolute dating. Atoms and Isotopes: Let’s review the basics The number of protons in an atom determines which element it is. If you change the # of protons, the element changes the mass changes. If you change the # of neutrons, the element stays the same, but the mass changes ISOTOPES - atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons Chemical symbol for element Atomic # (protons) Mass # (protons + neutrons) http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/chem30/images/e_deuterium.jpg Why Are Some Isotopes Radioactive? Isotopes that have the right amount of neutrons are called stable. They always stay the same. Some isotopes have a few too many neutrons or not enough - This makes them unstable and radioactive. The nuclei of these radioactive atoms change or decay by giving off radiation in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves until the atom reaches a stable state. Radioactive Decay Each radioactive parent always decays to a specific daughter. There is no way to predict which atoms will decay first. Radioactive atoms decay at a specific rate. Once they decay, they can not change back. During radioactive decay, the number of protons in the atom changes, and one element transforms into another. Parent isotopes decay into daughter isotopes. Radioactive Decay is like popping popcorn. How Long Does Radioactive Decay Take? Half-Life - the time it takes for half of the radioactive or parent isotopes in a sample to decay to daughter isotopes. Each parent has a 50% chance of decaying during 1 half-life. Measured in seconds, minutes, years, etc. Each isotope has its own unique half-li