Question

Which values do scientists compare when using potassium-argon dating?

Answer 1

“Potassium-argon dating, method of determining the time of origin of rocks by measuring the ratio of radioactive argon to radioactive potassium in the rock. This dating method is based upon the decay of radioactive potassium-40 to radioactive argon-40 in minerals and rocks; potassium-40 also decays to calcium-40.”

Answer 2

Dating and studying rocks

Step-by-step explanation:

• Due to the long half-life of K40, this technique is often used in the dating minerals and rocks more than 100,000 years old. As Ar + K dating is used in the development of geomagnetic polarity of rocks and thus has an important role in archeology.

• One application is of the dating of archaeological lava, also know to have dating ability of clays i.e mineral diagenesis. This technique can be used in the successful dating of weathering events.

• Even the mars curiosity rover uses this technique to date rocks on mars in search of its mineral ingredients.