The purpose of radioactive dating is to estimate the age of an item, usually fossils or rocks.
the process involves testing a sample, and measuring the ratio of certain isotopes, and then using that ratio in combination with the half-life of a radioactive element to estimate the age. Great care must be taken with the samples in order to avoid contamination. the selection of the elements to study will depend on the original material and the expected age of the sample.
the half-life of a given element is constant, but each element will have its own half-life.
