1. Evolution – Radiometric Dating Evidence
The present is the key to the past
James Hutton
Geologist that proposed the idea of deep time

2. What is Evolution ? Theory supported by evidence
Biological evolution - changes in living organisms
Sharing of common ancestors (branched tree of life)
Darwin term: descent with modification
Think: With your table buddy discuss and list at least four concepts learned that support the theory of evolution.

3. Radiometric Dating

4. Relative Dating Shown by fossils
compares rock strata – relationship to each other in the layers.
Older fossils and rocks are generally deeper

5. Radiometric Dating Absolute /actual dating More precise
Decay of UNSTABLE radioisotopes
Atomic Nuclei (protons unequal to # of neutrons)
Isotopes give off energy particles at a rate specific for the type of isotope.
Half-life- amount of time for original (unstable parent isotopes) to decay to stable daughter isotopes
discoveries-radiometric-dating-video.htm

8. Bullet what this graph shows!

9. Radiometric Dating Supports Evolution
radioisotopes break down, or decay, at known predictable rates.
pairs are useful in dating the Earth such as rubidium/strontium, thorium/lead, potassium/argon, argon/argon, or uranium/lead,
Many varying half-lives of different isotopes allow cross referencing.
different techniques, often measured in rival labs, continually confirm each other.
Repeatable

10. Don’t make this too difficult!
Compare decay (number of) parent isotopes to daughter atoms (percent) Then use the graph to help solve! Look at the graph and with your table buddy answer the following – jot down in your notes After 1 half life- how much of the parent isotope is remaining?

11. Question #2
After 2 half-lives how much of the parent isotope is remaining?

12. Question
After Three half-lives, what percent of the parent isotopes remain?

13. Do Practice Problems: Steps
1) Determine the percent of parent isotopes remaining. 2) Use the graph determine half-lives that the isotope has gone through 3) Multiply the half-lives by the known half- life for that isotope

14. Answer Question # 1 An original rock with 60 atoms of Uranium 238.
Half-life is 4.5 billion years
After one half-life, how old is the sample
How many atoms are remaining?
After two half-lives, how many parent atoms are remaining?

15. Question #2: A sample has 5 atoms of radioactive (parent) uranium 235 remaining and 65 (daughter) atoms of lead (Pb) present.
a) What percentage of radioactive isotopes remaining?
b) Graph reads:
c) half-life of uranium 235 is 704,000,000 million years so the age of the sample is

16. Question 3: If an element has a half-life of twenty million years and there is 6.25% parent isotope remaining, how old is the rock?
Graph Read from Y axis 6.25% remaining: Multiply 4 half lives X 20,000,000 years =

17. Question 4: The radioactive isotope carbon 14 is used to date a once living organism. Carbon 14 has a half-life of 5730.
If there are 20 atoms of parent isotope and 5 of daughter isotope remaining, what is the age of the fossil.
Steps: Determine % of parent isotopes remaining:
Step: Number of half lives:
Multiply the number of half-lives X half life

18. Question #5: Potassium 40 can also be used to date biological fossils since potassium is found in living organisms. Potassium 40 has a half life of 1.28 billion years and decays to argon.
If 5% of original isotope is remaining use the graph to find the number of half-lives the sample has completed. Multipy the half lives 4.1 X 1.28 billion years to find

19. Question #6: Uranium 238 has a half life of 4. 5 billion years
Question #6: Uranium 238 has a half life of 4.5 billion years. If you have 20 atoms of uranium 238, how many are remaining after one half life?
10 Uranium 238 isotopes remain and 10 will now have been converted into daughter atoms.
After one more half-life how many will remain?

20. Question 7: Rubidium-87 has a half-life of 48. 8 billion years
Question 7: Rubidium-87 has a half-life of 48.8 billion years atoms of rubidium decays into daughter atoms and now 25% remain.
How many atoms are remaining?
How many half-lives has rubidium gone through:
What is the age of the fossil