Describe the concept of using radioactive elements to establish an age for a fossil. Be sure to include how the parent and daughter elements are used in the determination of age. Answer in paragraph form.

The nuclear decay of radioactive elements is a process that is a useful tool for determining the absolute age of fossils and rocks. It is used as a clock, in which daughter elements or isotopes converted from parent isotopes by decaying at a particular time.

Radioactive decay rates are constant and do not change over time. It is measured in half-life. A half-life is a time it takes half of a parent isotope to decay and converted into a stable daughter isotope. How many parent isotopes and daughter isotopes present in the fossil or their abundance can help in determining the age of fossil or rock.