Lesson 7 - Describe radiometric dating and discuss three prerequisites that must be met in order to obtain a reliable radiometric date on a granite batholith. What are the various methods of radiometric dating that may be used

RADIOMETRIC DATING can also be seen as the way of determining the particular time in which materials were been formed by studying the decay of the radioactive isotopes that exist in the material, which is why RADIOMETRIC DATING is reliable because the rates of decay for many types of isotopes do not vary.

3 PREREQUISITE

1. The rate of decay must remain constant and must not vary.

2. The amount of parent and daughter must as well remain completely precise.

3. Lastly the granite would as well have to have stayed a closed system for the whlle period of time following when it was created

METHOD OF RADIOMETRIC DATING

1. The potassium argon dating

2.Uranium lead dating

Explanation:

REDIOACTIVE DATING can be defined as the method in abundance ratio of a radioactive isotope is been compared to a reference isotope in order to help determine the actual age of a material and this is done measuring the decay of radioactive atoms to effectively determine the age of a rock sample.

In other word RADIOMETRIC DATING can also be seen as the way of determining the particular time in which materials were been formed by studying the decay of the radioactive isotopes that exist in the material, which is why RADIOMETRIC DATING is reliable because the rates of decay for many types of isotopes do not vary.

Therefore in order for to obtained a reliable radiometric date for a granite batholith, their are three prerequisites which must be followed and they are :

1. The rate of decay must remain constant and must not vary.

2. The amount of parent and daughter must as well remain completely precise.

3. Lastly the granite would as well have to have stayed a closed system for the whlle period of time following when it was created .

Some of the various methods of RADIOMETRIC DATING include;

1. The potassium argon dating

2.Uranium lead dating

Below is the formula for RADIOMETRIC DATING

log F = (N/H)log(1/2)

Where F is the fraction remaining

N is the number of years

H is the half life.

In order to determine the fraction remaining we have to know the particular amount which is now present as well as the amount which was present at the time when the mineral was been formed.