Question

What tests were able to determine when continental crust was formed

Answer 1

Potassium–Argon Dating Method

Step-by-step explanation:

Potassium-Argon Dating Method is a type of radioactive dating method which is that is mostly used in order to determine the time of formation of rocks by calculating the ratio between the radioactive- Ar to radioactive-K that is present in the rock. This method is dependent on the rate at which the radioactive K-40 decays over a due course of time, and completely changes into a stable element i.e radioactive Ar-40.

The half-life of K-40 is approximately 1.3 billion years old. This means that K-40 requires 1.3 billion years in order to decay half of its initial composition.

This method is very efficient in determining the age of the continental crust as the radioactive potassium-40 is commonly found to be present in the minerals such as in feldspar, mica, and hornblende within the continental rocks.

Answer 2

Potassium-argon dating and half-life isotopes are the test undergone to determine the formation of continental crust.

Explanation:

Continental crust is formed from the rocks layers such as sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic which forms the continent.

Potassium-argon dating is a method that is used for the determination of the origin time of rocks through the measurement of the argon and potassium ratio that are radioactive in the rock.

A half-life method describes the decay of radioactive atoms which is discrete entity.