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Course: High school chemistry > Unit 9

Lesson 2: Half-life and radiometric dating
Science
High school chemistry
Nuclear chemistry
Half-life and radiometric dating
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Understand: half-life and radiometric dating

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Problem

Because meteorites were not formed on earth, the age of a meteorite offers clues about when our solar system was formed. The oldest meteorites are over 4.5 billion years old!
A 1.7 kg meteorite from the Sikhote Alin meteorite shower of 12 February 1947. Found in eastern Siberia.
A 12-cm meteorite discovered in Siberia
One method used to determine the age of meteorites uses the radioisotope rubidium-87.
What property about Rb-87 makes it useful for radiometric dating?
Choose 1 answer: