Geologic Time

The Law of Superposition helps scientists to determine what?

• The absolute age of rock layers

• The age of fossils

• The relative age of rock layers

• the super powers of squirrels

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

What is the relative age of a rock?

• The age determined by the things around it.

• The age of an igneous rock.

• The age determined by radioactive dating.

• The time it takes for 1/2 of the radioactive atoms to decay in an element.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

According to the law of superposition, the oldest fossils are found 

• At the top of the rock layers
• Near the bottom of the rock layers
• In the middle of the rock layers
• Somewhat near the surface

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Traces or remains of organisms that lived long ago

• Fossil
• Unconformity
• Superposition
• Column

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

How does absolute age differ from relative age?

• only absolute dating indicates which rock is older than another
• only absolute dating finds the age in years
• only relative dating finds the age in years

Scientists use radioactive decay to measure...

• relative time
• absolute time
• half-lives
• time of day

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Trilobites can be found in both rocky places and marine areas on Earth, even though they are marine animals. How can we use trilobites fossils to show that changes have occurred over time?

• Trilobite fossils are in both rocky and marine areas proving that Earth has changed by natural processes.

• Trilobites actually show that nothing ever changes

• Natural processes no longer occur so trilobites show nothing

• Trilobites are compressed so much by natural processes that they only show in marine places

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Where would law of superposition be more useful than radioactive dating?

• used to tell which hill peak is the nearest

• used to tell the exact age of your family

• used to tell which layer of sedimentary rock in the grand canyon is the oldest

• used to tell whether two animals that lived in different continents are related

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

The length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay is its...

• era
• age
• half-life
• eon

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Look at the reference image. Which combination accurately portrays the correct age order?

• B is higher so it is OLDER than D

• C is older than E, even though it is FOLDING upwards

• G is older than all the other layers

• A is higher, so is OLDEST layer

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4