Earth Formation & Geological Time

Based on the law of superposition, where would the oldest rocks be found.

• at the bottom

• at the top

• second from the bottom

• second from the top

What is an unconformity?

• A layer of sedimentary rock

• A layer of rocks with unusual fossils

• An intrustion

• A missing time or gap in the rock record because of erosion

Which technique can be used to determine the exact age of a rock?

• Radiometric dating

• Relative dating

What are fossils?

• the oldest layers of rock in a region

• living creatures with habitats in or around rocks

• preserved remains or traces of once living things

• objects that people of long ago left behind as artifacts

Which letter matches with the OLDEST layer of rock?

• W

• X

• Y

• Z

The time that it takes 50% of an element to decay is called what?

• the daughter product

• the half-wit

• the half-life

• the half-time

What is matching similar rocks in different locations called?

• succession

• fossilization

• geology

• correlation

If the original mass of a radioactive element was 36 grams how much would be left after 1 half life?

• 36 grams

• 18 grams

• 9 grams

• 4.5 grams

What kind of rock would you typically find fossils in?

• igneous

• metamorphic

• sedimentary

Index fossils are used by geologists to

• match rocks of the same age in different regions

• determine the relative age of rocks in one place

• identify organisms that did not leave fossil evidence behind

• determine why some organisms became extinct