Unit 4 Lesson 1- Rocks and Fossils

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

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-6

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, Faul
• Fault, Rock 2, Layer 1, Rock 1
• Rock 2, Layer 1, Rock 1, Fault

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

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.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

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?

• A. 1, 3, 2, 4
• B. 2, 3, 4, 1
• C. 3, 2, 1, 4
• D. 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.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Explain how absolute age of volcanic ash and relative age can be used to help scientists find the age of fossils.

• The absolute age of volcanic ash cannot be used to find the age of fossils.

• The absolute age of volcanic ash can be found through radiometric testing. Any fossils located in that layer will be the same age as the ash because of relative dating.

• Fossils cannot be found in igneous rock, so they will not be found in a volcanic ash layer.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Describe the process of absolute dating as it relates to igneous rock and the fossil record.

• Scientists can use absolute dating of an igneous rock to determine the age of a fossil found inside the igneous rock.

• There are no fossils in the igneous rock, so scientists determine the age of the fossils in the sedimentary rock by identifying the age of the igneous rock layers above or below the sedimentary rock where the fossil is found.

• Scientists determine the age of igneous rocks through relative dating not absolute dating.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Explain how an index fossil record can be used to help determine the age of other fossils.

• An index fossil is used to establish the age of rock layers because it is abundant, and existed for only a short span so they help scientists age other fossils through relative dating.

• An index fossil lived for a long period of time and is in many layers of sedimentary rocks, so they help scientists age other fossils through relative dating.

• An index fossil cannot be found in sedimentary rock, so it will be a different age than the other fossils.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4