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Can radioactive dating used metamorphic rocks

Isotopes are important to geologists because each radioactive element decays at a constant rate, which is unique to that element.Geological Time | Geologic Time Scale | Plate Tectonics | Radiometric Dating | Deep Time | Geological History of New Zealand | Radiometric Dating Radiometric measurements of time Since the early twentieth century scientists have found ways to accurately measure geological time.

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The original atom is referred to as the parent and the following decay products are referred to as the daughter.Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you succeed.Free 5-day trial Radiometric dating is used to estimate the age of rocks and other objects based on the fixed decay rate of radioactive isotopes.Each isotope is identified with what is called a ‘mass number’.When ‘parent’ uranium-238 decays, for example, it produces subatomic particles, energy and ‘daughter’ lead-206.By dating these surrounding layers, they can figure out the youngest and oldest that the fossil might be; this is known as "bracketing" the age of the sedimentary layer in which the fossils occur.


The discovery of by the French physicist, Henri Becquerel, in 1896 paved the way of measuring absolute time.

Shortly after Becquerel's find, Marie Curie, a French chemist, isolated another highly radioactive element, .

These use radioactive minerals in rocks as geological clocks.

