1 : relating to, using, or measured by a radiometer. 2 : of or relating to the measurement of geologic time by means of the rate of disintegration of radioactive elements.

What does the word radiometric dating mean in science?

Radiometric dating calculates an age in years for geologic materials by measuring the presence of a short-life radioactive element, e.g., carbon-14, or a long-life radioactive element plus its decay product, e.g., potassium-14/argon-40.

What does radiometry mean?

Radiometry is the science of measurement of optical radiation at any wavelength, based simply on physical measurements. The terms used to describe radiant power in radiometry are summarized in Table 1. All the terms used in radiometry are defined in terms of energy.

What is the difference between radiometry and photometry?

The difference between radiometry and photometry is that radiometry includes the entire optical radiation spectrum (and often involves spectrally resolved measurements), while photometry deals with the visible spectrum weighted by the response of the eye.

What is radioactive decay in science?

a radioactive process in which a nucleus undergoes spontaneous transformation into one or more different nuclei and simultaneously emits radiation, loses electrons, or undergoes fission.

What is photometry used for?

A photometer is a tool used to measure light, and photometry is how light is measured. Photometers can measure electromagnetic radiation, which is the energy that can be found in different forms including x-rays, gamma rays, ultraviolet light, and visible light (among others).

How does a photometer work?

A photometer is an instrument that measures the strength of electromagnetic radiation in the range from ultraviolet to infrared and including the visible spectrum. Most photometers convert light into an electric current using a photoresistor, photodiode, or photomultiplier.

What is radioactive decay in simple words?

Radioactive decay is the emission of energy in the form of ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation can affect the atoms in living things, so it poses a health risk by damaging tissue and DNA in genes.. The ionizing radiation that is emitted can include alpha particles.