potassium-argon dating - definition of potassium-argon dating by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

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potassium-argon dating

(Physics / 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

potassium-argon dating

A method of radiometric dating, involving analysis of the ratio of potassium 40 (a radioactive isotope of potassium) to argon (the product of radioactive decay of potassium 40) in a given sample.

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

dating, geological dating - use of chemical analysis to estimate the age of geological specimens

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