How does absolute dating differ from relative dating?
4 Answers
value in years compared to position between events of different age
Explanation:
Absolute dating(also known as radiometric dating) is based by the measurement of the content of specific radioactive isotopes of which the "half time" is known.
Half time is the time needed for half of a given quantity of an isotope to decay in its byproducts.
Comparing the quantity of the parent form and the byproduct will give a numerical value for the age of the material containing such isotopes. Example include carbon14-nitrogen, uranium-led, uranium-thorium.
Relative dating instead allows for identifying the sequential order of geological events one relative to the other. This is based on the concept that, in a normal depositionary sequence, the deepest layers are also the oldest.
absolute dating is based on calculations of the age of rock strata based on half lives of minerals, relative dating is based on the assumed age of fossils found in the strata and the laws of super imposition.
Explanation:
Absolute dating is actually a misnomer. The absolute dating is based on calculation of half life. The calculation are based on the percentages of parent, and daughter elements. These calculations are based on geological assumptions of uniform process, the lack of erosion of either the parent or daughter elements. The results are often determined by the estimates of the presumed age of the strata based on relative ages.
The age determined by relative dating is based on the rules of super imposition and the presumed age of strata based on fossils.
The deeper strata is presumed to be older than strata above. The strata with the simpler fossils is presumed to older than strata with more complex fossils regardless of which is above the other. Scientific American Oct 1980 156-168 The rocks on the surface of the southern Appalachians are older than the sedimentary layers under them. Ager, Derek I can think of no cases of radioactive decay being used to date fossils. ( New Scientist Nov 10 1983 page 425
Both absolute dating and relative dating are determined by the evolutionary timeline and are used to support the evolutionary timeline. ( The rocks do not date the fossils the fossils date the rocks American Journal of Science Jan 1976 47-55) Absolute dating is based on radioactivity. Relative dating is based on super imposition and fossils.
Both the methods are used for dating fossils.
Explanation:
In relative dating, fossils are dated according to the depth at which they were buried.The fossils which are buried deep inside the earth are more ancient.
While in the absolute dating, isotopes of carbon are used for dating fossils.
The absolute dating is more precise than relative dating because it tells the exact age of the fossils.
Both are ultimately based on the fossils found in the strata.
Explanation:
The timeline established by the theory of Darwinian evolution ultimately determines the age of fossils found in any given strata.
The law of superimposition that the oldest fossils are found on the bottom is superseded by the law of decent with modification that the simplest fossils are the oldest and the youngest fossils are the most complex. This is the basis of relative dating
Fossils Out of Sequence Palaios June 1990 page 227
"We define stratigraphic disorder as the departure from perfect chronological order of fossils in a stratigraphic sequence, in which an older fossils occurs above a younger one. ... stratigraphic disorder at some scale is probably a common feature of the fossil record.
Pragmatism verus Materialism American Journal of Science Jan 1976 page 54-55 Fossils date rocks not vice[versa and that's that.
Absolute dating is based on radioactive decay half lives. All radioactive substances are found in igneous rocks ( except Carbon 14 which is only used to date fossils less than 50,000 years old). As igneous rocks do not contain fossils, absolute dating can only be used to date the strata above or below the fossil bearing strata.
This means that absolute dating is basically the same as relative dating as it is based on the law of superimposition the most recent rocks are higher in the geological column. So a rock above a strata dated by radioactivity must be younger than the date obtained by radioactivity.
Fossil Frustrations New Scientist Nov 1983
" Ager Derek I think of no cases of radioactive decay being used to date fossils. "
Ultimately fossils are dated using Darwinian evolutionary theory. Relative and absolute dating are dependent on the fossils and used to support the conclusions of the Darwinian order of descent with modification.
