A Journey Through Fossil and Radiometric Dating

Front

What is a fossil?

Back

The remains or impression of a prehistoric organism.

Front

What does fossil evidence indicate about past environments?

Back

Fossils can show that an area may have changed over time, such as being underwater in the past.

Front

What is the main purpose of radiometric dating?

Back

To determine the age of materials by measuring the decay of radioactive isotopes.

Front

What is Carbon-14 dating used for?

Back

It is used to date organic materials, such as bones and wood, up to about 50,000 years old.

Front

Why can't Carbon-14 dating be used for rocks?

Back

Carbon-14 dating is only effective for organic materials.

Front

What is absolute dating?

Back

A method that provides a specific age or date for an object or event.

Front

What is relative dating?

Back

A method that determines the age of an object in relation to other objects.

Front

What is Pangaea?

Back

A supercontinent that existed hundreds of millions of years ago, where all continents were joined together.

Front

What evidence supports the theory of Pangaea?

Back

The fossil record shows similar fossils on different continents.

Front

What is the principle of superposition?

Back

In undisturbed layers of rock, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest are at the top.