Discover a world of knowledge at Westonci.ca, where experts and enthusiasts come together to answer your questions. Experience the convenience of finding accurate answers to your questions from knowledgeable experts on our platform. Join our Q&A platform to connect with experts dedicated to providing accurate answers to your questions in various fields.

Which stable element is used to determine the age of volcanic rock? argon O carbon-14 O O potassium carbon-12 Which stable element is used to determine the age of volcanic rock ? argon O carbon - 14 O O potassium carbon - 12​

Sagot :

Answer:

Argon

Explanation:

Argon is actually used to determine the age. It's called potassium-argon dating b/c when volcano erupts the rocks in it contain potassium. The potassium slowly decays and produces argon. Scientists measure how much argon is in a given volcanic rock and do math backwards to figure out how many potassium atoms were needed to produce the given amount of argon. We already know the rate at which potassium decays so then they put two and two together to find the age.

Here's a link with some cool info on it:

https://divediscover.whoi.edu/archives/hottopics/volcano.html