Geological records

The Law of Superposition helps scientists to determine what?

• The absolute age of rock layers

• The age of fossils

• The relative age of rock layers

• the super powers of squirrels

According to the law of superposition, the oldest fossils are found 

• At the top of the rock layers
• Near the bottom of the rock layers
• In the middle of the rock layers
• Somewhat near the surface

An archaeologist made the following diagram of a dig site. What can be said about the pottery as compared to the skull found in the site?

• The rock layer with the pottery is more recent than the rock layer with the skull.
• The rock layer with the skull is more recent than the rock layer with the pottery.
• The rock layer with the skull is approximately the same age as the rock layer with the pottery.
• The rock layer with the skull has an absolute date of 17,000 years.

The Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships states that an igneous intrusion is 

• always younger than the layers it cuts across
• always older than the layers it cuts across
• the same age as the rock it melted
• none of the answers are correct

The number of years that have passed since the rock formed is the rock's

• relative age
• law of superposition
• absolute age
• index fossil

Which is older, A or D?

• A
• D

The age of a rock layer compared to the other rock layers around it is called

• Absolute Age
• Relative Age
• Comparative Age
• Layer Age

How is radioactive dating used to determine the absolute age of rocks?

• The percent of radioactive parent isotopes remaining in the rock is compared to the amount of stable daughter isotopes that are present

• it compares the radioactive isotope in a younger layer of rock to an older layer

• isotopes of different compounds are compared

• daughter isotopes are compared to sister isotopes

What is Half-life?

• The amount of time it takes for some of the nuclei in a sample of the isotope to decay
• The amount of time it takes for half the electrons in a sample of the isotope to decay
• The amount of time it takes for half the nuclei in a sample of the isotope to decay
• the amount of time it takes to double the nuclei in a sample of the isotope to decay

The original element that undergoes radioactive decay is known as the...

• daughter element
• half-life
• parent element
• carbon-14