Question

Scientists use radiometric dating to determine the absolute age of a rock. Why is radiometric dating useful for this task?


A.
Radioactive isotopes have brief half-lives, some less than a minute.


B.
A rock’s supply of radioactive isotopes stays constant over time.


C.
Radioactive isotopes decay at a constant rate.


D.
Radioactive isotopes readily form bonds with common, stable elements.

Answers

Answered by GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is:

**C. Radioactive isotopes decay at a constant rate.**

Radiometric dating relies on the principle that radioactive isotopes decay at a predictable and constant rate, known as their half-life. This allows scientists to measure the amount of a radioactive isotope remaining in a rock or mineral and calculate how much time has passed since the rock formed, thus determining its absolute age.
There are no human answers yet. A form for humans to post answers is coming very soon!

Related Questions