In the early years of radiocarbon dating a products decay was measured, but this required huge samples (e.g. half a human femur). Many labs now use an Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS), a machine that can detect and measure the presence of different isotopes, to count the individual 14C atoms in a sample.

What instrument is used for radioactive dating?

Thermal ionization mass spectrometer Thermal ionization mass spectrometer used in radiometric dating. To determine the ages in years of Earth materials and the timing of geologic events such as exhumation and subduction, geologists utilize the process of radiometric decay.

What is radioactive dating technology?

Radioactive dating is a method of dating rocks and minerals using radioactive isotopes. This method is useful for igneous and metamorphic rocks, which cannot be dated by the stratigraphic correlation method used for sedimentary rocks. Over 300 naturally-occurring isotopes are known.

What is the machine called that measures the isotopes used to date zircons?

mass spectrometer After the dating elements have been isolated, they are loaded into a mass spectrometer and their relative isotopic abundances determined. The abundance of certain isotopes used for dating is determined by counting the number of disintegrations per minute (i.e., emission activity).