Question

Which of the following statements about radiometric dating is true?

1) It is a foolproof method and always gives correct results.
2) If daughter atoms have leaked out of the mineral being dated, the radiometric age will still be correct.
3) If parent atoms have been introduced into the mineral after the mineral formed, the radiometric age will still be correct.
4) The carbon-14 method would be useful for dating rocks that are hundreds of millions of years old.
5) Radiometric dating can provide numerical ages of minerals if the mineral has not lost or gained parent or daughter atoms after the mineral formed.

Answer 1

Radiometric dating can provide numerical ages of minerals if the mineral has not lost or gained parent or daughter atoms after the mineral formed.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct statement about radiometric dating is: Radiometric dating can provide numerical ages of minerals if the mineral has not lost or gained parent or daughter atoms after the mineral formed.

Radiometric dating is a technique used by geologists to determine the age of rocks and minerals based on the decay of radioactive isotopes. It relies on the assumption that there were no daughter atoms present when the rock or mineral first formed and that the rock or mineral was a closed system.

For example, if the mineral has lost or gained parent or daughter atoms after it formed, the radiometric age will not be correct. However, if the mineral has not experienced any addition or removal of atoms, radiometric dating can provide an accurate numerical age.