If these dates are correct, this calls the Biblical account of a recent creation of life into question.
At the start, let me clarify that my main concern is not the age of the earth, the moon, or the solar system, but rather the age of life, that is, how long has life existed on earth.
Many dating methods seem to give about the same ages on meteorites.
Back to top Radioactive elements decay gradually into other elements.
The original element is called the parent, and the result of the decay process is called the daughter element.
This lesson introduces absolute dating and a few ways in which scientists accomplish it.
The majority of the lesson focuses on radiometric dating, including an activity where students date their own "rocks and fossils".
Potassium 40 (K40) decays to argon 40, which is an inert gas, and to calcium.
Potassium is present in most geological materials, making potassium-argon dating highly useful if it really works.
Potassium is about 1/40 of the earth's crust, and about 1/10,000 of the potassium is potassium 40.
Uranium decays to lead by a complex series of steps. Thus we obtain K-Ar dating, U-Pb dating, and Rb-Sr dating, three of the most common methods.
Basic understanding of how radiometric dating works is useful.