Earth Through Time Pre-Test

How does sedimentary rock usually form?

• in large crystals

• in vertical layers

• in swirling bands

• in horizontal layers

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

What is the approximate age of Earth?

• 4,600 years

• 46,000 years

• 4.6 million years

• 4.6 billion years

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

Which sentence best describes the process of relative dating?

• Younger fossils are on top of older fossils.

• Older fossils are on top of younger fossils.

• Radioactive elements help determine the age of the fossil.

• Fossils are dated by comparing them with living descendants.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

How does the law of crosscutting relationships explain the age of a fault caused by an earthquake?

• The fault is older than the rocks above it.

• The fault is younger than the rocks above it.

• The fault is older than the rocks it cuts through.

• The fault is younger than the rocks it cuts through.

Which definition describes absolute dating?

• finding the age of an object compared with other objects

• measuring the age of an object in years using any method

• determining the amount of a radioactive isotope in an object

• determining the age of a rock layer by studying the fossils present

Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of plants and animals that have lived on Earth throughout Earth’s history. How does the fossil record of animals compare with animals that exist today?

• Animals in the fossil record are the same as animals that exist today.

• Animals in the fossil record are ancestors of animals that exist today.

• Animals in the fossil record have no similarities to animals that exist today.

• Animals in the fossil record are more complex than animals that exist today.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Which statement correctly defines geology?

• It is the scientific study of the history of Earth and the processes that shape it.

• It is the scientific study of the history of the solar system and the processes that shape it.

• It is the scientific study of the development of life on Earth and the processes that change it.

• It is the scientific study of the structure of Earth’s atmosphere and the processes that change it.

A geologist is studying three layers of sedimentary rock in an area. The layers have not shifted from their original positions. The geologist records the relative ages of the rocks. The bottom layer is listed as the oldest. The top layer is listed as the youngest. What did the geologist use to determine the relative ages of the rocks?

• mineral content

• radioactive decay

• the law of superposition

• the principle of unconformity

Fossils are often hardened remains of organisms that once lived, such as a bone or tooth. Which characteristic of metamorphic rock makes it unlikely for fossils to be found in this type of rock?

• Fossils are broken apart during volcanic eruptions.

• High temperature and pressure destroy the fossils.

• Tiny sediments build up in the fossils as they are deposited.

• Ocean water moving across the rock carries the fossils away.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Julia has two samples of rocks for which she wants to find the absolute ages. She has a sample of sandstone and a sample of granite. Which statement explains why she can more easily date the granite sample?

• The granite is older.

• The granite is igneous.

• The granite is younger.

• The granite is sedimentary.