Relative dating puts geologic events in chronological order without requiring that a specific numerical age be assigned to each event. Second, it is possible to determine the numerical age for fossils or earth materials.

What is relative age dating and how does it work?

Relative dating is the technique used to determine the age by comparing the historical remaining to the nearby principles. It is a less advanced technique when compared that absolute dating. Some advantages used in relative dating are stratigraphy, biostratigraphy, and cross dating. Figure 2: Igneous Rock Layers.

What is relative age dating and absolute age dating?

Relative age is the age of a rock layer (or the fossils it contains) compared to other layers. It can be determined by looking at the position of rock layers. Absolute age is the numeric age of a layer of rocks or fossils. Absolute age can be determined by using radiometric dating.