how old are these rocks please granite sandstone limestone mudstone and conglomerate many thanks.

To determine the age of rocks like granite, sandstone, limestone, mudstone, and conglomerate, you would typically employ a technique called radiometric dating. This method relies on the decay of radioactive isotopes found within the rocks.

Here's a simplified explanation of how radiometric dating works:

1. Radioactive Isotopes: Certain elements exist in different forms called isotopes, some of which are unstable, meaning they decay over time. These isotopes are present in rocks when they are formed.

2. Decay Rate: Each radioactive isotope has a known decay rate, which is the time it takes for half of the isotope to decay. This decay rate is measured in a unit called a half-life.

3. Parent and Daughter Isotopes: As a radioactive isotope decays, it transforms into another isotope, called the daughter isotope. The original isotope is referred to as the parent isotope.

4. Ratio of Parent to Daughter: By measuring the ratio of parent to daughter isotopes in a rock sample, scientists can calculate how long it has taken for the decay to occur. This gives them an estimate of the rock's age.

5. Isotope Selection: Different isotopes are used for dating rocks of different ages. For example, uranium-lead dating is commonly used for very old rocks, while carbon-14 dating is used for relatively young rocks.

To determine the specific ages of granite, sandstone, limestone, mudstone, and conglomerate, geologists would need to collect samples of these rocks and conduct radiometric dating using appropriate isotopes.

It's worth noting that this explanation is a simplified overview, and the actual process involves more technicalities. Highly trained geologists and geochronologists perform detailed analyses in specialized laboratories to obtain accurate age determinations.