Radioactive dating relies on the natural process of radioactive decay, in which unstable isotopes of elements undergo spontaneous transformation into more stable isotopes. This process occurs at a constant and predictable rate, and the amount of the daughter isotope that accumulates over time can be used to determine the age of a sample.

The most commonly used radioactive isotopes for dating are carbon-14, potassium-40, uranium-238, uranium-235, and thorium-232. These isotopes have half-lives ranging from thousands of years to billions of years, making them suitable for dating materials of different ages.

Radioactive isotopes are present in small quantities in all materials, and the rate at which they decay is unaffected by external factors such as temperature, pressure, or chemical environment. This makes radioactive dating a reliable and accurate method for determining the age of materials, including rocks, fossils, archaeological artifacts, and even biological samples.