Question

Radioactive dating is calculated by:

A. the half life of an element, which is the rate at which parent elements change to daughter elements.
B. the radiation from the sun changing the dates of rock.
C. radioactive nuclear waste changing the dates of rocks.
D. the half life of an element, which scientist cannot calculate

Answer 1

Radioactive dating is a process used to determine the approximate age of an object by comparing the amount of a radioactive parent element to its daughter products. The half-life of radioactive isotopes is unaffected by environmental factors and acts like an internal clock. Carbon-14 dating is one example of radioactive dating used to estimate the age of organic material.

Step-by-step explanation:

Radioactive dating is a process by which the approximate age of an object is determined through the use of certain radioactive nuclides. The half-life of radioactive isotopes is unaffected by any environmental factors, so the isotope acts like an internal clock. By comparing the amount of a radioactive parent element to its daughter products, scientists can determine how long the decay process has been occurring and therefore the age of the object. For example, carbon-14 dating is used to estimate the age of organic material by comparing the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 in a sample.