Answer:
Relative dating of rocks is a method used by geologists to determine the age of rocks and fossils. It involves comparing the characteristics of rocks and fossils to determine their relative ages, without necessarily determining their absolute ages in years.
Relative dating is based on the principle of superposition, which states that in a sequence of undisturbed layers of rocks, the oldest layer will be on the bottom and the youngest layer will be on the top. By studying the rocks and fossils in a particular area, geologists can determine the relative ages of the rocks and fossils and the order in which they were formed.
For example, if a geologist finds a fossil of a marine organism in a layer of rock that is above a layer of rock containing fossilized land plants, the geologist can conclude that the marine organism lived after the land plants. This is because the marine organism's fossil is found in a younger layer of rock, indicating that it lived after the land plants.
Overall, relative dating of rocks is a method used by geologists to determine the relative ages of rocks and fossils and the order in which they were formed. It is an important tool for understanding the Earth's history and the evolution of life on our planet.