Earth History

Which best describes a fossil that helps determine the relative age of a rock layer?

• trace fossil
• index fossil
• radioactive fossil
• unconformity fossil

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

By which method have scientists determined that the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old?

• plate tectonics
• relative dating
• radioactive dating
• law of superposition

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-6

Which characteristic of carbon-14 dating helps scientists determine the approximate time a species became extinct?

• Carbon-14 is not present in more recent fossils
• Carbon-14 increases at a constant rate over time
• Carbon-14 decreases at a constant rate over time
• Carbon-14 can only be found in fossils of a certain period

The index fossil of a type of trilobite is discovered in layer A of a set of rock layers found at three different sites of a field investigation. Which conclusion can be made about the rocks in layer A at all three sites?

• The rocks are all different ages
• The rocks are all about the same age
• The rocks were formed from melting magma
• The rocks were formed during a catastrophic event

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Which type of rock replaces bone and other hard organic materials to create rock molds of fossils?

• metamorphic
• sedimentary
• extrusive igneous

Which statement best describes the Law of Superposition?

• Each sedimentary layer of rock represents 1,000 years of Earth's age, much like the rings of a tree.
• In undisturbed layers of sedimentary rocks, the upper rock layers are older than the lower rock layers.
• In undisturbed layers of sedimentary rock, the lowest layers contain the older rocks.
• Rocks that form near volcanoes are older than surrounding rock.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Where can the oldest layer be found?

• The top layer
• The middle layer
• They are all the same age
• The bottom layer

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Which layer is the oldest?

• 3
• 4
• 1
• 5

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

The longest Era was...

• Precambrian
• Paleozoic
• Mesozoic
• Cenozoic

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

The Precambrian is the ___________ time span in Earth's history.

• youngest
• latest
• earliest
• middle

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4