radioactive dating
Definition
Noun: A scientific method for determining the approximate age of an object by measuring the amount of a specific radioactive material, such as carbon-14, it contains. The process relies on the known rate of decay of these radioactive elements.
Usage
This term is used exclusively as a noun to describe the scientific technique. It is a compound noun, but its meaning is treated as a single, specific concept.
- Scientists used radioactive dating to determine the fossil's age.
- The accuracy of radioactive dating is crucial for archaeological research.
- Radioactive dating of the rock samples revealed they were millions of years old.
Advanced Usage
- Radiocarbon dating is a specific and common type of radioactive dating that uses the isotope carbon-14 to date organic materials up to about 50,000 years old.
- The principle behind radioactive dating is that the ratio of a radioactive isotope to its decay product changes predictably over time.
Variants and Related Words
- Radiometric dating: A more general term often used synonymously with radioactive dating, encompassing all dating techniques based on radioactive decay.
- Carbon dating: A common informal term for .
- Isotopic dating: Another technical synonym.
Synonyms
- Radiometric dating
- Isotopic dating
Related Phrases
- Dating method/technique: The broader category to which radioactive dating belongs.
- Half-life: A critical concept for radioactive dating, referring to the time required for half of a radioactive substance to decay.
Noun
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measurement of the amount of radioactive material (usually carbon 14) that an object contains; can be used to estimate the age of the object
