Relative dating is used to arrange geological events, and the rocks they leave behind, in a sequence. Sedimentary rocks are normally laid down in order, one on top of another. In a sequence, the oldest is at the bottom, the youngest is at the top. This is the principle of superposition.

What is a relative date in geology?

Relative dating puts geologic events in chronological order without requiring that a specific numerical age be assigned to each event. Second, it is possible to determine the numerical age for fossils or earth materials.

Which is used in relative geologic dating?

The law of included fragments is a method of relative dating in geology. Essentially, this law states that clasts in a rock are older than the rock itself. One example of this is a xenolith, which is a fragment of country rock that fell into passing magma as a result of stoping.

What is relative dating of rocks and fossils?

Relative dating is used to determine a fossils approximate age by comparing it to similar rocks and fossils of known ages. Absolute dating is used to determine a precise age of a fossil by using radiometric dating to measure the decay of isotopes, either within the fossil or more often the rocks associated with it.