What is the difference between relative and absolute age? Relative age is the age of a rock layer (or the fossils it contains) compared to other layers. It can be determined by looking at the position of rock layers. Absolute age is the numeric age of a layer of rocks or fossils.

What are the differences between relative dating and radioactive dating?

Relative dating is the method of providing the relative order of past events via determining the approximate age of geological features. Radiometric dating is determining the exact order of past events via determining the absolute age of geological features. Therefore, it can provide actual numerical dates.

What are relative dating techniques?

Relative dating methods estimate whether an object is younger or older than other things found at the site. Relative dating does not offer specific dates, it simply allows to determine if one artifact, fossil, or stratigraphic layer is older than another.