potassium-argon dating

n (General Physics) a technique for determining the age of minerals based on the occurrence in natural potassium of a small fixed amount of radioisotope ⁴⁰K that decays to the stable argon isotope ⁴⁰Ar with a half-life of 1.28 × 10⁹ years. Measurement of the ratio of these isotopes thus gives the age of the mineral. Compare radiocarbon dating, rubidium-strontium dating

potas′sium-ar′gon dat`ing

n. a method for estimating the age of a mineral or rock, based on measurement of the rate of decay of radioactive potassium into argon. [1965–70]

Thesaurus

Noun

potassium-argon dating - geological dating that relies on the proportions of radioactive potassium in a rock sample and its decay product, argondating, geological dating - use of chemical analysis to estimate the age of geological specimens

potassium-argon dating

[pə′tas·ē·əm ′är‚gän ′dād·iŋ] (geology) Dating of archeological, geological, or organic specimens by measuring the amount of argon accumulated in the matrix rock through decay of radioactive potassium.

potassium-argon dating

the determination of the age of minerals or rock strata based on comparison of the measurement of radiogenic argon-40 with that of potassium-40 and the known relative decay rates.

potassium-argon dating

noun

Words related to potassium-argon dating

noun geological dating that relies on the proportions of radioactive potassium in a rock sample and its decay product, argon

Related Words

dating
geological dating

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