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Radiometric Dating
Ch 23.6 words
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Isotope | Atoms of the same element with the same number of protons and different numbers of neutrons. |
| Nucleus | The center of an atom, containing almost all of the mass. It consists of positively charged protons and neutral neutrons. |
| Radioactive Isotope | An isotope with a nucleus that naturally decays over time. |
| Radioactive Decay | The process by which a radioactive PARENT isotope breaks down into a stable DAUGHTER isotope. |
| Parent Isotope | The radioactive isotope that decays |
| Daughter Isotope | The stable element that is produced by radioactive decay. |
| Half-life | The amount of TIME it takes for one half of the parent isotope to decay. |
| Absolute Age | The specific number age of a rock. Calculated using radioactive isotopes. |
| Carbon -14 | The radioactive isotope used to date rocks with organic materials like shells, bone, or wood. |