Age of the Earth

Front

What does the Law of Crosscutting Relationships state?

Back

The fault or body of rock that cuts through layers must be younger than the layers it cuts through.

Front

What is the purpose of radioactive and relative dating in geology?

Back

It provides the order of rock formation.

Front

What is the correct order of geological events from oldest to youngest?

Back

C, B, A, D, E.

Front

If Plutonium-244 has a half-life of 40 million years, what percentage of the isotope remains after 80 million years?

Back

25%.

Front

What does the Law of Superposition state?

Back

The layer on top is younger than the layer on the bottom.

Front

Define radioactive dating.

Back

A method used to determine the age of rocks and fossils based on the decay of radioactive isotopes.

Front

What is relative dating?

Back

A method of determining the age of rocks and fossils in relation to one another, without providing an exact age.

Front

Explain the significance of half-life in radioactive dating.

Back

Half-life is the time required for half of the radioactive isotopes in a sample to decay, which helps in determining the age of the sample.

Front

What is the principle of original horizontality?

Back

Layers of sediment are originally deposited horizontally under the action of gravity.

Front

What is an unconformity in geology?

Back

A surface of contact between two groups of unconformable strata.