Practice question · Match the pairs
Match each dating method to its essential limitation.
- Radiocarbon
- Dendrochronology
- Potassium-argon
- Thermoluminescence
- Needs preserved wood joined to a master sequence
- Resets only when the object was last heated
- Only volcanic material; useless for recent millennia
- Fades out past roughly 50,000 years
Hints
- Each method is limited by range, material, or the event it dates.
- Ask what moment actually resets each clock.
Show the answer
- Radiocarbon → Fades out past roughly 50,000 years
- Dendrochronology → Needs preserved wood joined to a master sequence
- Potassium-argon → Only volcanic material; useless for recent millennia
- Thermoluminescence → Resets only when the object was last heated
Why
Every clock has a dial it cannot read: range, material, and what event actually zeroes it. Matching limitation to method is what separates a date from a blunder.
Practise Absolute Dating Techniques
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