Potassium argon dating archaeology

Potassium Argon Dating

There are three naturally occurring isotopes of the element potassium: 39K The dating technique is based on the radioactive decay of the isotope 40K, which has a half-life of 1. It is the steady buildup of the daughter isotope 40Ar that represents the atomic clock and its ticking. The clock starts when a molten rock cools and solidifies, having liberated any former 40Ar, and is read by comparing the amount of 40K present when formed to the amount of 40Ar present see figure. This comparison is possible because the ratio of 39K to the decaying 40K is known, and 39K is the most abundant stable isotope that can be measured. This technique requires that the 40K, 39K and 40Ar, 36Ar be analyzed separately to produce the data required to calculate an age. Furthermore, the gas can escape from samples, thus producing apparent younger ages. The modern ratio of 40Ar to 36Ar is

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Potassium-Argon Dating Potassium-Argon dating is the only viable technique for dating very old archaeological materials. Geologists have used this method to date rocks as much as 4 billion years old. It is based on the fact that some of the radioactive isotope of Potassium, Potassium K ,decays to the gas Argon as Argon Ar By comparing the proportion of K to Ar in a sample of volcanic rock, and knowing the decay rate of K, the date that the rock formed can be determined. How Does the Reaction Work? Potassium K is one of the most abundant elements in the Earth's crust 2. One out of every 10, Potassium atoms is radioactive Potassium K

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Is potassium argon dating still used in archaeology and anthropology?

The potassium-argon K-Ar isotopic dating method is especially useful for determining the age of lavas. Developed in the s, it was important in developing the theory of plate tectonics and in calibrating the geologic time scale. Potassium occurs in two stable isotopes 41 K and 39 K and one radioactive isotope 40 K.

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