History of Earth

Relative age dating is used to determine the...

• actual age of an event

• length of time between two events

• age of one event compared to other events

• rate at which a geologic process occurs

Preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived long ago

• Fossil

• Unconformity

• Superposition

• Column

The numerical (or actual) age, in years, of any object.

• absolute age

• relative age

• space age

• old age

In undisturbed rock layers, older rocks lie _________ newer ones.

• above
• below
• mixed within
• all the time to

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

Time it takes for half of an object's unstable elements to decay, or turn into a different stable element or isotope

• relative age

• absolute age

• half-life

• two years

Fossils of species that existed for short periods of time, were widespread, and are used to determine the relative age of rock layers

• trace fossils

• index fossils

• original remains

• half-life

Which rock layer in the diagram seems to be the oldest?

• F
• E
• B
• A

Which of the rock types would you be more likely to find a fossil in?

• Sedimentary

• Metamorphic

• Igneous

According to paleontologists, how old is the Earth?

• 3.5 Billion Years Old

• 543 Million Years Old

• 57 Million Years Old

• 4.6 Billion Years Old