Absolute DatingTuesday, December 2nd, 2014
No Homework
Do Now Order the layers from oldest to youngest
Do Now
Describe one of the different principles from the reading yesterday
This can only help your grade◦ I recommend that if you have below an 85 you do
this assignment Design a board game based on the Matter
unit◦ I can give you a grading rubric with requirements
and expectations If you choose not to do this, I will enter
whatever grade you have for the semester in that spot
End of semester grade worth 20%
SWBAT define absolute dating SWBAT differentiate absolute dating and
relative dating
Essential Questions? Compare and contrast absolute and relative
dating. How are they the same? How are they different?
How can they be used together to form a more accurate picture of the past?
Objectives
Radiometric dating◦ A method of estimating the age of rocks and
fossils by using radioactive elements Half-Life
◦ What is a half life?◦ The approximate time for half of the radioactive
isotope to undergo decay (convert into a different isotope)
Vocabulary
Title: Absolute Dating Date: 12/2 Section: Fossils
Note sheet for today
A. How do living things obtain their carbon?
B. There are 2 methods of absolute dating mentioned, what are they?
C. How can scientists measure the age of something by using carbon dating?
D. Why does carbon dating only work for 60 thousand years?
Types of absolute dating
Determining the age of rocks found near fossils is an important step in understanding evolution. How does radiometric dating determine the age of a fossil.
1. It compares the radioactive to nonradioactive elements in the rocks around the fossil
2. It compares the age of the rocks above and below the fossil
3. It compares the bones of one animal to those of a similar animal
4. It determines where the fossil belongs in the fossil record
Sample TCAP question
Ratio of radioactive to nonradioactive elements
How to use radiometric dating
What is Dendrochronology?A. Why do tree rings have a lighter area and
a darker area?
B. What can tree rings tell us about climate?
C/D. How can scientists create a climatic chronology going back thousands of years?
Dendrochronology
Compare and contrast absolute and relative dating. How are they the same? How are they different?
How can they be used together to form a more accurate picture of the past?◦ Use a Venn Diagram or a drawing to help explain
your answer
Answer the Essential Question
1. How are absolute dating and relative dating different?
2. What is one example of radiometric dating?
3. In order to properly date something using radiometric dating you need the ratio of ___________ to ______________.
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