The technique of comparing the abundance ratio of a radioactive isotope to a reference isotope to determine the age of a material is called radioactive dating. Many isotopes have been studied, probing a wide range of time scales.The technique of comparing the abundance ratio of a radioactive isotope

What is radioactive used to find?

Radiometric dating, often called radioactive dating, is a technique used to determine the age of materials such as rocks. It is based on a comparison between the observed abundance of a naturally occurring radioactive isotope and its decay products, using known decay rates.

How do you know if an isotope is radioactive?

If the ratio of neutrons to protons becomes too large or the atomic number is above 83 an isotope will be radioactive. According to the theory, If the ratio of neutrons to protons more than one, or becomes too large, the isotope is radioactive or the atomic number is above 83, the isotope will be radioactive.

How do you identify a radioactive isotope?

Most radioisotopes emit gamma rays with characteristic energies. Gamma rays emitted by a radioactive source strike a detector within the RIID and are converted into a signal that indicates the energy of the incident gamma ray.

What is the difference between a stable and unstable isotope?

Stable isotopes do not decay into other elements. In contrast, radioactive isotopes (e.g., 14C) are unstable and will decay into other elements.