What determines the slope on an isochron diagram?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question focus: isochron diagrams and what controls their slope.
Option a: 'Amount of parent isotope' — While the amounts change as aging proceeds, the slope of an isochron is not determined by how much parent is left at the moment. The slope encodes time elapsed, not the instantaneous quantity alone. Misconception: daten are about current quantities rather than the time-integrated decay relationship.
Option b: 'age' — This is the core idea. The slope of an isochron is directly related to the time elapsed since the system closed, i.e., the age. In radiometric dating, the mathematical relation between parent and daughter isotopes translates age into a slope on the plot (often through a function of decay constant λ and time t). Therefore, the slope serves as a proxy for the age of the sample.
Option c: 'Amount of product (daughter) isotope' — The amount of daughter accumulated is a consequence of the decay process over time, but it alone does not set the slope. Different ages could yield similar daughter amounts if initial conditions differ, so the slope is not determined solely by the current amount of daughter.
Option d: 'Initial isotopic ratio' — The initial ratio affects the intercept of the isochron line, not the slope. Isochron methods are designed so that samples with the same initial ratio align along a line whose slope encodes the age; the initial ratio shifts the line vertically, not its tilt. Therefore, the initial ratio governs intercept, not slope.

What determines the slope on an isochron diagram?

查看解析

登录即可查看完整答案

类似问题

Which two useful properties were used by John Joly and Ernest Rutherford to estimate the age of the earth?

Select three of the followng disciplines which have made the most significant contributions to estimating the age of the earth in the 19th and 20th century.

Why are moon rocks useful in estimating the age of the earth?

(Q010) To calculate the numerical age of a fossil specimen that you believe dates to about 2 mya, which of the following methods would you choose?

Which statements are true regarding absolute dating techniques? (Select all that apply)

The oldest continental rock measured is 4.37 billion years old.

In a consumer society, many adults channel creativity into buying things

Economic stress and unpredictable times have resulted in a booming industry for self-help products

更多留学生实用工具

考试浏览器助手

风格化写作助手

论文查重助手

文献引用助手

课堂转译助手

课堂笔记助手

Quiz搜索助手

学校历年真题

智能刷题助手

智能匹配练习

希望你的学习变得更简单