radioactive dating
There are other forms of radioactive dating. Rocks, for example, can sometimes be dated based on the decay of 238 U . The decay series for 238 U ends with 206 Pb , so that the ratio of these nuclides in a rock is an indication of how long it has been since the rock solidified. The original composition of the rock, such as the absence of lead, must be known with some confidence. However, as with carbon-14 dating, the technique can be verified by a consistent body of knowledge. Since 238 U has a half-life of solidified about.