Question

Remember that in relative dating, scientists do not determine the exact age of a fossil or rock. They look at a

sequence of rocks to try to decipher when an event occurred relative to the other events represented in that
sequence. The relative age of a rock, then, is its age in comparison with other rocks. (1) Do you know which rock is
older and which is younger? (2) Do you know how old the rock's layers are in years? For relative ages, you know #1
but not # 2.
In some cases, it is very tricky to determine the sequence of events
that leads to a certain formation. In the picture below, can you figure
out what happened in what order?
Make a prediction:
In your own words please .

Answer 1

Relative dating is a method used in geology to determine the chronological order of fossils or rock layers without establishing their numerical age. This technique assesses which fossils or layers are older or younger relative to one another and is vital for constructing the geologic time scale. Absolute dating methods, like radiometric dating, are used to determine exact ages in years.

Step-by-step explanation:

Relative dating is a method used by geologists to determine which of two fossils or rock layers is older or younger than the other, without determining their absolute age in years. It is based on the principle that in undisturbed sequences, the oldest layers will be at the bottom and the youngest at the top, following the law of superposition. Rock layers, or strata, are analyzed by their position in the sequence to understand the chronological order of geological events.

Through relative dating, scientists can construct a geologic time scale, which is a representation of the sequence of events that have occurred throughout Earth's history. Indications of different rock types, environmental factors, and fossils are used as clues for this reconstruction. However, when it comes to establishing the exact numerical age of rock layers or fossils, geologists employ methods of absolute dating, such as radiometric dating, to measure the decay rate of radioactive isotopes and determine their ages in years.

In summary, relative dating allows scientists to understand the order of past events and is a crucial tool in studying the Earth's geologic history, even though it doesn't provide numerical ages.