Radiocarbon dating measures radioactive isotopes in once-living organic material instead of rock, using the decay of carbon-14 to nitrogen-14. Because of the fairly fast decay rate of carbon-14, it can only be used on material up to about 60,000 years old.

What isotopes are used for absolute dating?

Uranium–lead radiometric dating involves using uranium-235 or uranium-238 to date a substances absolute age. This scheme has been refined to the point that the error margin in dates of rocks can be as low as less than two million years in two-and-a-half billion years.

What are some radioactive isotopes commonly used for dating?

Dating Using Radioactive DecayThe best-known techniques for radioactive dating are radiocarbon dating, potassium-argon dating and uranium-lead dating.After one half-life has elapsed, one half of the atoms of the nuclide in question will have decayed into a “daughter” nuclide.More items