Condensed Notes on Radioactive Dating:

RD is a way of performing absolute dating since numbers are obtained.

Some isotopes in nature are stable and some are unstable. The unstable ones are radioactive and
will therefore, decay at a measured/constant rate.
Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different mass numbers because they have
different numbers of neutrons
Example is uranium. Could be:
U234
U235
U238

Radioactive Decay: the process whereby an unstable element gives off charged particles until it
forms a stable element (i.e. isotopes).
The original radioactive material is called the parent material (i.e. unstable, radioactive
element). The new material created (isotopes resulting from the decay of the parent) is called
the decay product or daughter element.
Radioactivity provides a reliable means of calculating the ages of rocks, minerals, and bones
that contain particular radioactive isotopes.
Half Life: the time it takes for a radioactive substance to decay so that 50 % () is remaining.
Isoptope pairs and their memorized half-life values are as follows:
U238 - Pb206
U235 - Pb207
K40 - Ar40
C14 - N14
Rb87 Sr87

Half-life = 4.51 billion years

Half-life = 713 million years
Half-life = 1.31 billion years
Half-life = 5730 years
Half-life = 47 billion years

If the half-life of a radioactive isotope is known (which is will be) and the parent/daughter ratio
can be measured, then the age of the sample can be calculated. Also, if the half-life of a
radioactive isotope is known (which is will be) and the number of elapsed half-lives that
occurred is known, then either the amount of original parent material or amount of remaining
parent material can be determined.
Always Remember and/or Know
1:1 = 1 half-life = 1/2

1:3 = 2 half-lives = 1/4

1:7 = 3 half-lives = 1/8
1:15 = 4 half-lives = 1/16
1:31 = 5 half-lives = 1/32
Notice that the percentage of radioactive atoms that decay during one half-life is always the
same: 50 %. However, the actual number of atoms that decay with the passing of each half-life
continually decreases. Thus, as the percentage of radioactive parent atoms declines, the
proportion of stable daughter atoms rises, with the increase in daughter atoms just matching the
drop in parent atoms. This fact is the key to radiometric dating.
Five radioactive isotopes have proven to be important in providing radiometric ages for ancient
rocks.
Rubidium - 87
Uranium - 238
Uranium - 235
Potassium 40
Carbon 14
When using radioactive dating you must assume:
1.
No parent material or daughter element has been removed.
Example: leaching
2.
No parent material or daughter element has been added from outside sources.
Example: hydrothermal fluids
3.
With uranium - lead dating, you must assume that no non-radioactive lead was
present in the sample.
Problems associated with radioactive dating:
II
C-14 can only be used on once living samples.
III
C-14 can only be used on samples less than 50, 000 years old.
IV
U-238 can only be used on samples greater than 100, 000 years old.
V
Only rarely can sedimentary rocks be dated. Note that sedimentary rocks are
composed from rock fragments, which means that it is made of various fragments of
varying rock type and age (DUE TO WEATHERING AND EROSION).
VI
Metamorphic dating is difficult due to the changes involved. High heat and
pressure resets the radioactive clock.
VII Addition or removal of parent material or decay product will flaw results.

VIII Argon 40 is a noble gas and could escape over geological time causing the ratio
of potassium 40 to argon 40 to be wrong.
NOTE THAT QUESTIONS COULD REFER TO THE RADIOACTIVE PARENT ISOTOPES
IN EITHER OF THE FOLLOWING FORMS:
- FRACTION (E.G. )
- PERCENT (E.G. 25 %)
- AMOUNT IN GRAMS (E.G. 360 GRAMS)
A COMMON ERROR THAT STUDENTS MAKE IN RELATION TO READIOACTIVITY
PROBLEMS IS THAT THEY COUNT 100 % OF PARENT MATERIAL REMAINING TO BE
1 HALF-LIFE WHEN IN ACTUALLY IT IS O HALF-LIVES. COUNTING IT AS 1 HALFLIFE WOULD RESULT IN THE WRONG NUMBER OF HALF-LIVES BEING
DETERMINED, THEREBY RESULTING IN THE WRONG RATIO OF PARENT
MATERIAL TO DAUGHTER MATERIAL AND THE WRONG AGE FOR THE SAMPLE.
NOW YOU JUST NEED TO LEARN THE VARIOUS PROBLEM TYPES THAT COULD
ARISE ON THE QUIZ, UNIT TEST, OR PUBLIC EXAMINATION RELATING TO
RADIOACTIVE DATING. WE WILL NEED TO PRACTICE EACH PROBLEM TYPE.