Unit 4 Lesson 1 Quiz

Jacob has one older brother and one younger sister. He wants to explain relative dating to them using their ages as an example. Which statement describes their ages using relative dating?

• Their ages are 14, 12, and 9.

• They are all about the same age.

• The boys have different ages from the girl.

• Jacob is younger than his brother but older than his sister.

Earth is approximately 4.6 billion years old. How do scientists determine this?

• measuring the age of the oldest fossils

• measuring the age of the oldest glaciers

• using absolute dating techniques on meteorites

• determining the chemical composition of sea-floor sediments

The diagram shows rock layers that are cut by a fault and two bodies of rock (Rock 1 and Rock 2). What are the relative ages of the features in order of oldest to youngest?

• Fault, Rock 1, Rock 2, Layer 1

• Layer 1, Rock 2, Rock 1, Fault

• Fault, Rock 2, Layer 1, Rock 1

• Rock 2, Layer 1, Rock 1, Fault

Which is not an accurate statement about the fossil record?

• The fossil record represents less than one percent of all of the species that ever lived.

• Land organisms are more likely to fossilize than aquatic organisms.

• It is rare for the remains of a soft-bodied organism to become a fossil.

• Most fossils are found in sedimentary rock.

How does relative dating help determine the age of a fossil?

• It gives us the exact date an organism lived.

• It allows us to study the radioactive elements to determine the age.

• It determines whether a fossil formed before or after another fossil.

• It compares a fossil with its current living relatives and studies the differences.

Juan is studying fossils. His teacher wrote the following statements on the board and asked the students to put them in the correct order to describe how fossils are formed.

1. Layers of sediment bury the entire skeleton.

2. Sediment builds up and turns to rock.

3. An organism dies, and its body begins to decompose.

4. Sediment begins to cover the organism’s skeleton.

Which is the correct order of events for fossil formation?

• 1, 3, 2, 4

• 2, 3, 4, 1

• 3, 2, 1, 4

• 3, 4, 1, 2

The diagram shows a portion of the fossil record in sedimentary rock. Different rock layers and fossils are clearly visible.

Which statement is true of the fossils and rock layers shown in the diagram?

• Layer A contains the most recently formed rocks and fossils.

• Layer B contains the second-oldest rocks and fossils.

• The rocks and fossils in layer B are older than those in layer D.

• The rocks and fossils in layer D are the most recently formed.