Radiometric dating

Radiometric dating, radioactive dating or radioisotope dating is a technique which is used to date materials such as rocks or carbon, in which trace radioactive impurities were selectively incorporated when they were formed. The method compares the abundance of a naturally occurring radioactive isotope within the material to the abundance of its decay products, which form at a known constant rate of decay. Radiometric dating of minerals and rocks was pioneered by Ernest Rutherford (1906) and Bertram Boltwood (1907).

Extends: [Radiometric dating](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Radiometric dating), [Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage)