Law of Superposition

1. 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 rock, 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.

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Scientists find dinosaur fossils in the bottom rock layers of a cliff and mammal fossils in the middle rock layer of the cliff. Which could best be concluded from this evidence?

• Dinosaurs ate plants.

• Dinosaurs were eaten by the mammals.

• Dinosaurs lived on Earth before the mammals.

• Dinosaurs and mammals lived at the same time.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

The diagram shows layers of rock, A, B, C, D, and

igneous intrusion E.

Place the rock layers in order from oldest to youngest.

• D – C – B – E – A

• A – B – C – D – E

• E – D – C – B – A

• A – E – B – C – D

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Which is a process that allows scientists to compare rock layers with others in a sequence to determine their age?

• radiometric dating

• absolute dating

• relative dating

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What can be concluded about the age of fossils in undisturbed rock layers?

• The top layer has the oldest fossils.

• The bottom layer has the oldest fossils.

• The top layer has the oldest and youngest fossils.

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Which is used to find the relative age of a rock?

• composition of rock layers

• position of rock layers

• carbon-14 dating

• uranium dating

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Which is the best predictor of the relative age of a layer of rock?

• thickness of the layer

• position of the layer

• length of the layer

• size of the layer

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Scientists have identified four sedimentary rock layers

from an archaeological dig as shown.

Which is most likely the oldest sedimentary rock layer?

• Layer R

• Layer S

• Layer T

• Layer U

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Based on the law of superposition, which best describes the ages of four undisturbed rock layers relative to one another?

• All of the layers of rock were deposited at about the same time and are about the same age.

• The youngest rock layer is found on top, and the older layers are closer to the center of Earth.

• The oldest rock layer is found on top, and the younger layers are closer to the center of Earth.

• The youngest rock layer is found on the bottom, followed by the oldest layer, and then younger layers

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Fossils were discovered in four different sedimentary rock layers as shown below.

Which best describes the age of the fish relative to the age of the fern and the age of the shell?

• The fish is older than both the fern and the shell.

• The fish is younger than both the fern and the shell.

• The fish is older than the fern, but younger than the shell.

• The fish is younger than the fern, but older than the shell.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1