Quiz about Earth Through Time (Geology)

Question 1

Rocks on Earth today were always present.

Accepted Answer

false

Answer

true

Question 2

Sedimentary rocks are made from _____.

Accepted Answer

tiny rock pieces

Accepted Answer

remains of plants

Accepted Answer

remains of animals

Answer

lava and magma

Question 3

The oldest layer of sedimentary rock is found _____.

Accepted Answer

at the bottom

Answer

at the top

Question 4

The youngest layer of sedimentary rock is found _____.

Accepted Answer

at the top

Answer

at the bottom

Question 5

What are the traces or remains of an organism that lived long ago?

Accepted Answer

fossils

Answer

rocks

Answer

igneous rock

Answer

sedimentary rock

Question 6

Fossils are preserved in _____.

Accepted Answer

rock, ice, tar, or tree sap

Answer

rock only

Answer

ice only

Answer

tar and tree sap only

Question 7

______ is how old something is compared to how old something else is.

Accepted Answer

relative age

Answer

absolute age

Question 8

What is a method of determining whether something is older or younger than something else?

Accepted Answer

relative dating

Answer

absolute dating

Question 9

Faults are _____ than the rocks they are formed through.

Accepted Answer

younger

Answer

older

Question 10

Intrusions are _____ than the rocks they are formed through.

Accepted Answer

younger

Answer

older

Question 11

Lava flows are _____ than the rocks they are formed through.

Accepted Answer

younger

Answer

older

Question 12

What are all of Earth's known rocks and the information they contain?

Accepted Answer

rock record

Answer

fossil record

Answer

rock museums

Answer

fossil museums

Question 13

What are the remains of an organism that was common and widespread, but only existed for about 1 million years or less?

Accepted Answer

index fossils

Answer

remaining fossils

Answer

sedimentary fossils

Answer

common fossils

Question 14

What are all of Earth's known fossils and the information they contain?

Accepted Answer

fossil record

Answer

fossil museum

Answer

rock record

Answer

rock museum

Question 15

What are rock layers that are missing in the rock record?

Accepted Answer

unconformities

Answer

formations

Answer

missing formations

Answer

informations

Question 16

What causes unconformities?

Accepted Answer

rock layers or eroded

Accepted Answer

sediment is not deposited for a period of time

Answer

sediment is deposited too quickly

Answer

rock layers stay in place for too long

Question 17

What is the actual age of something?

Accepted Answer

absolute age

Answer

relative age

Answer

relative dating

Answer

absolute dating

Question 18

What is a method of measuring the actual age of something?

Accepted Answer

absolute dating

Answer

relative dating

Answer

absolute aging

Answer

relative aging

Question 19

What is the amount of time needed for half the amount of unstable particles to change into more stable particles?

Accepted Answer

half life

Answer

whole life

Answer

stable time

Answer

unstable life

Question 20

What information is needed to determine half-life?

Accepted Answer

number of half lives passed

Accepted Answer

the half-life of the unstable particles

Answer

the half-life of the stable particles

Answer

number of years passed

Question 21

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?

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

Their ages are 14, 12, and 9.

Answer

They are all about the same age.

Answer

The boys have different ages from the girl.

Question 22

The diagram shows one kind of radioactive decay that is used for dating. Which statement best describes what information is needed to determine the age of a rock sample using this type of dating method?

Accepted Answer

the relative amounts of uranium-238 and lead-206

Answer

the exact mass of uranium-238 in the sample

Answer

the amount of lead-206 present in the sample

Answer

the energy being released by the uranium-238

Question 23

Which method of finding the relative age of rocks do scientists often use?

Accepted Answer

A sedimentary rock layer in its original position is older than the layers above it and younger than the layers below it.

Answer

Igneous rock is older than nearby sedimentary rock, which is older than nearby metamorphic rock.

Answer

Metamorphic rock is older than nearby sedimentary rock because sedimentary rock is deposited before metamorphic rock forms.

Answer

The exact age of a sedimentary rock layer can be found using the layers above and below it, even if the layers are not in their original positions.

Question 24

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

Accepted Answer

using absolute dating techniques on meteorites

Answer

measuring the age of the oldest fossils

Answer

measuring the age of the oldest glaciers

Answer

determining the chemical composition of sea-floor sediments

Question 25

Which statement best describes an index fossil?

Accepted Answer

a fossil used to establish the absolute age of a rock layer

Answer

a fossil of an animal captured in ice

Answer

a fossil of an insect captured in amber

Answer

a fossil formed in soft sediment by the movement of an animal

Question 26

Basalt is a gray or black igneous rock. Pilar uses an absolute dating method to study a sample of basalt. Which phrase indicates the age of the rock in years?

Accepted Answer

absolute age of the rock

Answer

half-life of the rock

Answer

radioactive date of the rock

Answer

age of the index fossil in the rock

Question 27

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?

Accepted Answer

Rock 2, Layer 1, Rock 1, Fault

Answer

Fault, Rock 1, Rock 2, Layer 1

Answer

Layer 1, Rock 2, Rock 1, Fault

Answer

Fault, Rock 2, Layer 1, Rock 1

Question 28

How does sedimentary rock usually form?

Accepted Answer

in horizontal layers

Answer

in large crystals

Answer

in vertical layers

Answer

in swirling bands

Question 29

What is the approximate age of Earth?

Accepted Answer

4.6 billion years

Answer

4,600 years

Answer

46,000 years

Answer

4.6 million years

Question 30

Which sentence best describes the process of relative dating?

Accepted Answer

Younger fossils are on top of older fossils.

Answer

Older fossils are on top of younger fossils.

Answer

Radioactive elements help determine the age of the fossil.

Answer

Fossils are dated by comparing them with living descendants

Question 31

In what way are eras different from periods?

Accepted Answer

They are longer spans of time.

Answer

They are subdivided into epochs.

Answer

They have a longer duration than eons.

Answer

They have boundaries marked by mass extinctions.

Question 32

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

Accepted Answer

The fault is younger than the rocks it cuts through.

Answer

The fault is older than the rocks above it.

Answer

The fault is younger than the rocks above it.

Answer

The fault is older than the rocks it cuts through.

Question 33

Which definition describes absolute dating?

Accepted Answer

measuring the age of an object in years using any method

Answer

finding the age of an object compared with other objects

Answer

determining the amount of a radioactive isotope in an object

Answer

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

Question 34

The existence of humans on Earth represents a very short amount of time on the geologic time scale. In which epoch do we currently live?

Accepted Answer

Holocene

Answer

Eocene

Answer

Pliocene

Answer

Pleistocene

Question 35

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?

Accepted Answer

the law of superposition

Answer

mineral content

Answer

radioactive decay

Answer

the principle of unconformity

Question 36

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?

Accepted Answer

High temperature and pressure destroy the fossils.

Answer

Fossils are broken apart during volcanic eruptions.

Answer

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

Answer

Ocean water moving across the rock carries the fossils away.

Question 37

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?

Accepted Answer

The granite is igneous.

Answer

The granite is older.

Answer

The granite is younger.

Answer

The granite is sedimentary.

Question 38

Many geologic processes that shape Earth today also shaped Earth in the past.

Accepted Answer

true

Answer

false

Question 39

Which rock layer is older?

Accepted Answer

rock layers that contain only extinct organisms

Answer

rock layers that contain fossils of organisms that still exist today

Question 40

What can cause appearances of new organisms or disappearances of previously existing organisms in the fossil record?

Accepted Answer

geologic and/or environmental changes

Answer

geologic changes

Answer

environmental changes

Answer

neither geologic or environmental changes

Question 41

What are things timelines show?

Accepted Answer

geologic events and/or how life has changed throughout history

Answer

geologic events

Answer

how life has changed throughout history

Answer

neither geologic events or how life has changed throughout history

Question 42

What do we use to organize Earth's long history into manageable parts?

Accepted Answer

geologic time scale

Answer

rock scale

Answer

fossil record

Answer

rock record

Question 43

As we go further back in time, we have _____ rock and fossil information.

Accepted Answer

less

Answer

more

Question 44

What are the major eons of the geologic time scale?

Accepted Answer

Hadean

Accepted Answer

Archean

Accepted Answer

Proterozoic

Accepted Answer

Phanerozoic

Question 45

What eras make up the Phanerozoic Eon?

Accepted Answer

Paleozoic

Accepted Answer

Mesozoic

Accepted Answer

Cenozoic

Answer

Proterozoic

Question 46

What epoch do we live in?

Accepted Answer

Holocene

Answer

Miocene

Answer

Eocene

Answer

Paleocene

Question 47

What period do we live in?

Accepted Answer

Quaternary

Answer

Paleogene

Answer

Neogene

Question 48

What era do we live in?

Accepted Answer

Cenozoic

Answer

Paleozoic

Answer

Mesozoic

Question 49

What eon do we live in?

Accepted Answer

Phanerozoic

Answer

Hadean

Answer

Archean

Answer

Proterozoic

Question 50

The divisions of the geologic time scale are equal.

Accepted Answer

false

Answer

true

Question 51

What three eons make up precambrian time?

Accepted Answer

Hadean

Accepted Answer

Archean

Accepted Answer

Proterozoic

Answer

Phanerozoic

Question 52

What three periods make up the Cenozoic Era?

Accepted Answer

Paleogene

Accepted Answer

Neogene

Accepted Answer

Quaternary

Answer

Cambrian

Question 53

What does this diagram tell you about these different time periods?

Accepted Answer

the order in which they occurred

Accepted Answer

the length of time they lasted in relation to each other

Answer

the actual length of time for each one

Question 54

Which statements correctly describe the geologic time scale?

Accepted Answer

It is divided based on evidence in the fossil record.

Accepted Answer

Some events are arranged according to relative dates.

Accepted Answer

It is divided based on evidence in the rock record.

Answer

It is divided into equal periods of time.

Question 55

When did the dinosaurs become extinct?

Accepted Answer

at the end of the Mesozoic era

Answer

at the end of the Paleozoic era

Answer

at the start of the Mesozoic era

Answer

at the start of the Paleozoic era

Question 56

Which of these happened in Precambrian time?

Accepted Answer

Life began to evolve on Earth.

Answer

The first mammals appeared.

Answer

A mass extinction wiped out most dinosaurs.

Answer

Life on Earth began to move from water to land.

Question 57

Which event allowed for greater diversity of life during the Paleozoic era?

Accepted Answer

Animals moved from the sea to the land.

Answer

Reptiles became more diverse.

Answer

Many marine animals went extinct.

Answer

Photosynthetic prokaryotes produced more oxygen.

Question 58

The diagram shows some of the divisions of the geologic timescale. The extinction of the dinosaurs happened at the end of which period?

Accepted Answer

Cretaceous

Answer

Cambrian

Answer

Devonian

Answer

Jurassic

Question 59

The diagram shows a cross-section of rock strata. Which of these likely created the patterns seen in the oldest layers of this figure?

Accepted Answer

fault activity

Answer

erosion

Answer

asteroid impact

Answer

folding

Question 60

Examine the rock strata data shown. Which layer shows evidence of a rapidly changing environment?

Accepted Answer

Layer M

Answer

Layer N

Answer

Layer O

Answer

Layer P

Question 61

The diagram shows several layers of rock. Which rock layer is older than layer H?

Accepted Answer

Layer K

Answer

Layer F

Answer

Layer G

Answer

Layer J

Question 62

A geologist is studying a small island. He wants to know the order of historic geologic events. Which question will lead the scientist to the evidence for this study?

Accepted Answer

How are the layers of rock on the island different from each other?

Answer

Are different types of rocks found on nearby islands?

Answer

Which types of plants and animals are most common on the island?

Answer

What is the temperature of the water around the island in different seasons?

Question 63

The diagram shows a geologic cross-section of rock strata. A fault recently appeared in the rock strata. Where is there evidence of a fault in older layers of the rock?

Accepted Answer

D and F

Answer

A and B

Answer

C and G

Answer

A and E

Question 64

An excavation revealed layers of sedimentary rock with fossils in each layer.

In which layer where the oldest fossils located?

Accepted Answer

4

Answer

3

Answer

2

Answer

1

Earth Through Time (Geology)

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