Final answer:
The age of bone fragments can be determined through radiocarbon dating, which measures the decay of carbon-14 in organic remains, and radiometric dating, which measures other radioactive isotopes' decay. For children, radiographs analyzing epiphyseal fusion can aid in age approximation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Determining the age of bone fragments involves several scientific techniques. One common method is radiocarbon dating, primarily used for organic materials. As living organisms, including humans, have a constant ratio of carbon isotopes, including the radioactive carbon-14, in their tissues, this ratio changes after death as the carbon-14 decays at a known rate. By measuring the remaining amount of carbon-14 in a bone, scientists can calculate when the organism died.
Another method that can be used is radiometric dating, which can also measure the level of radioactive decay of isotopes other than carbon, like uranium or thorium, in both organic and inorganic materials. This technique is useful for dating older bones that exceed the range of radiocarbon dating. Additionally, for younger individuals, age can be estimated through the analysis of epiphyseal fusion, dental development, and eruption, a process known as skeletal age-estimation procedures.
In the specific case of determining a child's age, a radiograph of their femur can be analyzed for growth and developmental stages, such as the progression of epiphyseal fusion. Medical professionals use this information, along with established growth charts, to approximate the age of the child.