NGS Section 2: Determining Ages of Rocks

What is the law of superposition?

• The principle that rock layers are always horizontal

• The principle that the oldest rock layer is at the top

• The principle that the oldest rock layer is at the bottom

• The principle that all rock layers are the same age

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Why are index fossils important?

• They are the oldest fossils found

• They are found only in one location

• They help match rock layers of the same age in different locations

• They help determine the absolute age of rocks

What is radioactive decay?

• The process of an element releasing particles and energy

• The process of rocks breaking down into smaller pieces

• The process of fossils forming in rocks

• The process of magma cooling into rock

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

What is an extrusion in geology?

• Lava that hardens beneath the Earth's surface

• Lava that hardens on the Earth's surface

• A break in the Earth's crust

• A gap in the geological record

What is an intrusion?

• Lava that hardens on the Earth's surface

• Magma that cools and hardens beneath the Earth's surface

• A break in the Earth's crust

• A gap in the geological record

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

What is a fault?

• A type of radioactive element

• A type of fossil

• A break in the Earth's crust

• A type of rock layer

What is an unconformity?

• A type of radioactive element

• A type of fossil

• A gap in the geological record

• A continuous sequence of rock layers

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

What is the absolute age of a rock?

• The age compared to other rocks

• The age of the rock's surface

• The number of years since the rock formed

• The age of the fossils within the rock

What is the relative age of a rock?

• The age of the rock's surface

• The age of the fossils within the rock

• The age compared to other rocks

• The exact number of years since the rock formed

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

What is a half-life?

• The time it takes for a rock to form

• The time it takes for a fossil to form

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

• The time it takes for all radioactive atoms to decay

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8