Radiometric Dating
This activity is part of the On the Cutting Edge Peer Reviewed Teaching Activities collection.
HideSummary
This activity leads students through derivations of the equations associated with radiometric dating: the radioactive decay equation, the half-life equation and the age equation. After the equations have been derived, students are asked to apply them to geologic applications: Which radioactive element is appropriate for dating in a certain age range? How accurate are figures for half-lives? How do you deal with decays which produce radioactive products which then themselves decay?
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Learning Goals
- Have student work their way through derivations of equations used in radiometric dating.
- Expose students to geological applications for radiometric dating.
Context for Use
This activity is appropriate for lower division undergraduates. It assumes some knowledge of calculus in the form of exponential functions and their derivatives and integrals as well as systems of simple differential equations.
Description and Teaching Materials
Activity Sheet (Acrobat (PDF) 508kB Jan20 04)
Assessment
Student answer several questions and do several calculations and derivations over the course of the activity which can be handed in for grading.