Why do geologists use the radiometric age of meteorites as a guide to age of the solar system?
A)The meteorites have been isolated in the cold vacuum of space since their formation,so they have seen no significant heating since the time of their formation.
B)The geologists are guessing because they yield some of the oldest radiometric ages.
C)The meteorites date the time of formation of a dead planet and don't have anything to do with the age of the solar system.
D)The meteorites have compositions close to Earth materials,so we assume they formed at the same time.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Meteorites have been isolated in the cold vacuum of space since their formation, and they have seen no significant heating since the time of their formation. Therefore, the radioactive isotopes they contain have decayed at a constant rate, allowing geologists to determine their age accurately. Since the meteorites are thought to have formed around the same time as the rest of the solar system, their radiometric ages provide a good estimate of the age of the solar system.

Why Do Geologists Use the Radiometric Age of Meteorites as a Guide