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

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.

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1 answer
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Answer 1

Bot GPT 4-o mini answered
3 months ago

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.