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Glite Dictionary
potassium-argon dating

potassium-argon dating

1 7.0
A method for finding how old rocks are by measuring potassium and argon
  • noun
  • /pəˈtæsiəm ˈɑrɡən ˈdeɪtɪŋ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : datación por potasio-argón
  • Can potassium-argon dating accurately date volcanic rocks?

Examples

  • Scientists often rely on potassium-argon dating to accurately measure the age of ancient volcanic rocks.

  • Many significant archaeological finds have been dated using potassium-argon dating techniques.

  • Scientists used potassium-argon dating to estimate the age of the ancient volcanic rock.

  • The accuracy of potassium-argon dating makes it valuable for studying early human fossils.

  • The potassium-argon dating method is reliable.

  • Using potassium-argon dating, researchers have determined that this lava flow erupted about 1.2 million years ago.

  • The geological survey utilized potassium-argon dating to establish the timeline of rock formations in the region.

Surface Forms

potassium-argon dating singular
potassium-argon datings plural

Morphology

potassium-argon + dating

Given knowledge of the constituents, the phrase reads as a dating method that uses potassium and argon: 'potassium' and 'argon' are element names and 'dating' denotes determining age. The compound follows a productive, cross-linguistic pattern (X–Y dating = a dating technique based on X and Y), so the overall meaning is directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Potassium-argon dating comes from the two elements scientists measure: potassium and argon. Inside rocks formed by volcanoes, potassium slowly turns into argon gas and the gas stays trapped, so measuring how much of each is like reading a tiny clock to find the rock's 'age'.