Compare And Contrast Relative Dating And Radiometric Dating

Relative dating and radiometric dating are two different things used for the same purpose. This purpose is to determine the age of fossils and other geological features. Radiometric uses radioactivity while relative uses location of the fossil or feature in rock layers. Although radiometric is more accurate than relative, relative dating is easier, quicker, and is the oldest way. These two ways are some of the common ways but not the only ways. There are also methods like carbon dating and absolute dating. Some people believe in the Bible which describes the earth being created but never mentions a time so no one knows how long ago it actually happened. Other people do not believe in the Bible and try to use scientific methods to uncover the time of the Earth's creation but one thing holds true between both is that dating can help uncover this secret but they are not the only ones. There are more ways to date fossils such as radiocarbon dating, carbon …show more content…
In many ways relative dating is easier and quicker than radioactive dating but radioactive dating is a much more accurate way. Relative dating uses material such as rocks and fossils and attempts to place that material in a certain time based on where it was located and the rock around it. The time where the rock or fossil came from is based on times like the Jurassic period and other sections like that. Geologists use cross cutting as a method of relative dating by determining which rock sections came from where then putting all rocks and fossils found in that area into one group. The layers are like a sandwich with the top bread being the youngest group and the bottom bread being the oldest group. This is an example of The Principle of Superposition. As species have come and gone many have left behind fossils and remains from certain times but them seem to disappear in another while others suddenly seem to pop up with no records of fossils from before