If scientists find the ratio of potassium to argon, it tells them how long the rocks have been around by how long the isotopes have been decaying. By understanding the dates of these rocks, scientists can deduce the age of the nearby fossils.

What is the importance of rocks dating?

Gaining estimates of ages of rocks is crucial for establishing not only the history of geological events but also for determining the rates of geological processes. It is possible to establish the relative order of events in some rocks.

What is the law of superposition and why is it important?

By applying the law of superposition, we can determine that certain organisms are much older than others, and which geologic times they lived in, because of the fossils preserved in the different layers of sedimentary rocks.