Geological Time

What does the Law of Superposition state?

• youngest layer of rock is on the bottom and oldest at the top

• oldest layer of rock at the top and youngest at the bottom

• oldest layer of rock is on the bottom and the youngest on the top

• fossils form because of older rock being brought to the top

What do you call a scientist who studies fossils?

• archeologist

• paleontologist

• zoologist

• geologist

What is the definition of a half-life?

• The time it takes to double the amount of radioactive isotopes

• The time it takes for half of the radioactive isotopes to decay

• The time it takes for all the radioactive isotopes to decay

What type of fossil is an imprint left from something that was buried?

• Trace

• Cast

• Amber

• Mold

What type of fossils were part of an organism’s physical body?

• Body

• Mold

• Cast

• Trace

What type of fossil forms when sediments leak into a mold and harden to form a copy of the original structure?

• Cast

• Mold

• Trace

• Petrified

What word means turned to stone?

Which type of rock is most likely to contain fossils?

• sedimentary

• igneous

• metamorphic

Less than ___ % of all living organisms become fossilized.

• 12

• 8

• 25

• 1

Identify each of the following as relative or absolute dating.

• I was born July 1, 1997

• Absolute

• I was born in 1997. 

• Relative

• Hartselle Intermediate School is 8 years old.

• Relative

• Coach Hanners is younger than Mrs. Sheats

• Absolute

• The big dog is older than the small dog.

• Relative