Determining Age of Rocks

The number of years that have passed since the rock formed is its ______________________.

• relative age

• law of superposition

• absolute age

• index fossil

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

The age of a rock compared to the ages of other rocks is the rock's

• absolute age
• geologic age
• sedimentary age
• relative age

A formation of igneous rock on Earth's surface is known as

• cementation

• an intrusion

• a fault

• an extrusion

Geologists use the law of _________ to determine the relative ages of sedimentary rock layers.

• geology
• superposition

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Relative age is different from absolute age because

• relative age compares rock with surrounding rock while absolute age is how many years since the rock was formed
• relative aging is more accurate than absolute aging
• absolute age compares rock with surrounding rock while relative age is how many years since the rock was formed.
• Relative age is used to determine rock age and absolute age is used to determine age of fossils

_{Which rock layer in the diagram seems to be the oldest?}

• F

• E

• B

• A

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Which is older, A or D?

• A

• D

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

To be considered an index fossil, it had to have lived for a relatively short period of time.

• True
• False

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Trilobites are good __________ fossils because they were abundant and widespread geographically.

• cast

• index

• preserved

• mold

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

States that younger rocks lie above older rocks if the layers have not been disturbed

• Law of crosscutting
• Law of superposition
• Relative Dating
• Unconformity