Geologic Time Scale

The age of a rock compared to the ages of other rocks is called?

• Absolute age
• Relative age
• Half-life
• Erosion

The age of a rock given as the number of years since the rock formed is called?

• Relative age
• Absolute age
• Index fossil
• Unconformity

Which principle states that in undisturbed sedimentary rock layers, each layer is older than the layer above?

• Law of Superposition
• Law of Fossil Succession
• Half-life Principle
• Erosion Rule

Which TWO statements refer to relative dating?

• It is like saying you are younger than your mother.
• Disturbances in the rock layers make this type of dating difficult.
• This is also called radiometric dating.
• This uses the decay of radioactive elements to find the age.
• Relies on the property of half-life.

The longest time period on the geologic time scale is?

• Cenozoic Era
• Mesozoic Era
• Paleozoic Era
• Precambrian Time

What is the time it takes for half of a radioactive element to decay?

• Absolute age
• Half-life
• Relative age
• Erosion

Which type of fossil is a hollow area in sediment in the shape of an organism?

• Mold
• Cast
• Trace Fossil
• Index Fossil

Which type of fossil forms when minerals seep into a mold and create a solid copy?

• Mold
• Cast
• Trace Fossil
• Index Fossil

Geologists use radioactive dating to determine?

• Relative age of rock layers
• Difference between molds and casts
• Absolute age of rocks
• Where soil horizons end

An unconformity is?

• A gap in the geologic record
• A type of fossil
• A rock layer that has folded
• An intrusion of magma