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WorksheetsAbsolute Dating
Total questions: 71
Worksheet time: 2hrs 50mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Absolute Dating is a more accurate way to date fossils and rock layers because it uses radioactive elements to tell the exact age of dead organisms in those layers. What is the name of the popular radioactive element that scientists use to measure this.
a)
Uranium
b)
Potassium
c)
Carbon 13
d)
Carbon 14
2.
Use the diagram and relative dating to determine what is the oldest layer.
a)
The bottom layer will contain the oldest fossils
b)
The top layer will contain the oldest fossils
c)
It is impossible to tell which layer contains the oldest fossils with out absolute dating
d)
Layer A and C contain fossils from the same period
3.
Use the diagram and the law of superposition to make a statement about the image.
a)
The bottom two layers are generally the same age range
b)
The bottom layer is most likely the oldest and the top layer is most likely the youngest
c)
The top two layers cannot be determined because of weathering and erosion that may still be occuring
4.
Thorium-234 has a half-life of 24 days. If a sample that originally contained 200 grams of thorium-234 now contains only 25 grams, the age of the sample is...
a)
24 days
b)
48 days
c)
72 days
d)
96 days
5.
Archeologists have found a fossil that contains 87.5 grams of nitrogen-14 and 12.5 grams of carbon-14. The half life of carbon-14 is 5730 years. How old is the fossil?
a)
3 million years
b)
17,190 years
c)
11,460 years
d)
92,000 years
6.
The length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay is its...
a)
era
b)
age
c)
half-life
d)
eon
7.
The original element that undergoes radioactive decay is known as the...
a)
daughter element
b)
half-life
c)
parent element
d)
carbon-14
8.
Scientists use radioactive decay to measure...
a)
relative time
b)
absolute time
c)
half-lives
d)
time of day
9.
A rock formed with 1000 atoms of a radioactive parent element, but only contains 250 radioactive parent atoms today. If the half-life of the parent element is one million years, how old is the rock?
a)
250,000 years old
b)
500,000 years old
c)
1,000,000 years old
d)
2,000,000 years old
10.
In addition to determining the age of a tree, examining the rings can tell us about...
a)
what climates were like in the past.
b)
what species of cats were alive at the time that the tree died.
c)
events such as meteor collisions and vocanic eruptions.
d)
the half life of a parent element
11.
What is the half life of carbon-14?
a)
5730 years
b)
4.5 billion years
c)
2000 years
d)
15 minutes
12.
What is the daughter element of carbon-14?
a)
nitrogen-14
b)
sodium-14
c)
lead-235
d)
carbon-16
13.
What element is usually used to date fossils?
a)
uranium-235
b)
carbon-14
c)
mercury-203
d)
thorium-234
14.
What percent of carbon-14 would be left after 5730 years?
a)
100%
b)
75%
c)
50%
d)
25%
15.
What percent of carbon-14 would be left after 11,460 years?
a)
100%
b)
75%
c)
50%
d)
25%
16.
According to the law of superposition, which layer is the youngest?
a)
A
b)
B
c)
C
17.
gaps in rock layers caused by erosion are called
a)
law of superposition
b)
unconformities
c)
uniformitarianism
d)
relative dating
18.
Which type of dating method can be used on rock layers by applying the Law of Superposition?
a)
relative dating
b)
absolute dating
c)
radioactive dating
d)
radiometric dating
19.
According to the law of superposition, the oldest fossils are found
a)
At the top of the rock layers
b)
Near the bottom of the rock layers
c)
In the middle of the rock layers
d)
Somewhat near the surface
20.
Which rock layer in the diagram seems to be the oldest?
a)
F
b)
E
c)
B
d)
A
21.
states that the geologic feature which cuts another is the younger of the two features
a)
law of horizontality
b)
cross cutting relationships
c)
law of superposition
d)
uniformitarianism
22.
Which of the following is the oldest?
a)
Layer L
b)
Intrusion D
c)
Intrusion H
d)
Layer E
23.
What happens during radioactive decay?
a)
A stable isotope of one element changes into an unstable isotope of a different element
b)
A stable isotope of one element changes into an unstable isotope of the same element
c)
An unstable isotope of one element changes into a stable isotope of a different element
d)
An unstable isotope of one element changes into a stable isotope of the same element
24.
How many of the original atoms of a decaying isotope remain unchanged after three half-lives?
a)
three-halves
b)
three-quarters
c)
one-quarter
d)
one-eighth
25.
The length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay is its...
a)
era
b)
age
c)
half-life
d)
eon
26.
Which best describes radiometric dating?
a)
using instruments that detect radioactivity to figure out how old something is
b)
measuring the relative amounts of a radioactive isotope and a daughter product to figure out the age of a sample
c)
measuring how quickly the different radioactive isotopes in a sample decay to figure out the age of the sample
d)
using short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation to determine the age of a sample
27.
How old do Paleontologists believe the Earth is?
a)
2015 years old
b)
3.6 billion years old
c)
4.6 billion years old
d)
4.6 million years old
28.
When scientists use logic to determine the age of one fossil compared to another, they use this type of dating.
a)
Relative
b)
Carbon
c)
Absolute
29.
Why are isotopes with short half-lives not useful for dating very old rocks?
a)
because not enough of the parent isotope remains to measure accurately
b)
because not enough of the daughter product has formed to be detectable
c)
because neither the parent isotope nor the daughter product will be detectable
d)
because very old rocks would never have contained these isotopes
30.
The original element that undergoes radioactive decay is known as the...
a)
daughter element
b)
half-life
c)
parent element
d)
carbon-14
31.
Scientists use radioactive decay to measure...
a)
relative time
b)
absolute time
c)
half-lives
d)
time of day
32.
Layers of rock can tell us a lot about the history of an area. The most accurate way to date rock is using the law of superposition.
a)
True
b)
False
33.
Sammie is using radiocarbon dating to determine the age of a sample of objects. Which best explains why radiocarbon dating can be used to determine the accurate age of these items?
a)
A.They contain radioactive isotopes that decay at a constant rate.
b)
A.They are made primarily of radioactive carbon that is easy to detect.
c)
A.They give off radioactive isotopes when an electrical charge is applied.
d)
A.They have been exposed to large amounts of radioactivity in the atmosphere.
34.
This rock diagram has a line running through with arrows pointing in the direction of rock movement. What does the line represent?
a)
A fold
b)
A fault
c)
A tilt
d)
An intrusion
35.
In this rock layer diagram there are two unconformities, a fault at E and an intrusion at D. Which unconformity occurred first? How do you know?
a)
Intrusion D occurred first because the instrusion has been moved by the fault.
b)
The fault occurred first because it has moved the intrusion D.
c)
Intrusion D occurred first because it can be seen in all of the rock layers.
d)
Fault E occurred first because it is a normal fault.
36.
Which rock layer or unconformity is most recent?
a)
B
b)
C
c)
D
d)
E
37.
Which rock layer most likely contains fossils of the most recently evolved organisms?
a)
1
b)
2
c)
3
d)
4
38.
Which type of dating method can be used on rock layers by applying the Law of Superposition?
a)
relative dating
b)
absolute dating
c)
radioactive dating
d)
radiometric dating
39.
states that the geologic feature which cuts another is the younger of the two features
a)
law of horizontality
b)
cross cutting relationships
c)
law of superposition
d)
uniformitarianism
40.
Letter "F" is a....
a)
inclusion
b)
intrusion
c)
fault
d)
unconformity
41.
The rock formation labeled "P" is a(n)...
a)
fault
b)
intrusion
c)
inclusion
d)
unconformity
42.
The statement "Layer B is younger than layer E" can be determined by using which principle?
a)
Principle of Horizontality
b)
Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships
c)
Principle of Inclusions
d)
Principle of Superposition
43.
What is the youngest layer in the outcrop?
a)
A
b)
B
c)
C
d)
D
44.
What is the oldest layer in the outcrop?
a)
B
b)
C
c)
D
d)
E
45.
Which of the following correctly lists the layers in order from oldest to youngest?
a)
A, B, C, D, E
b)
E, B, C, D, A
c)
E, D, C, B, A
d)
C, B, A, D, E
46.
The Law of Superposition helps scientists to determine what?
a)
The absolute age of rock layers
b)
The age of fossils
c)
The relative age of rock layers
d)
the super powers of rocks
47.
How many protons does U 235 atom have ?
a)
235
b)
92
c)
143
d)
67
48.
Some substances spontaneously emitted radiation in a process called radioactivity.
a)
False
b)
True
49.
Radiation is when rays & particles are emitted by the radioactive material.
a)
True
b)
False
50.
Unstable nuclei lose energy by emitting radiation in a spontaneous process called radioactive decay.
a)
False
b)
True
51.
What is the correct definition for half-life?
a)
the time it takes for 1/2 of the nucleus to decay
b)
the number of years that equal 1/2 the age of a rock
c)
the time it takes for 1/2 of the atoms in a sample of a radioisotope to decay
52.
which atom has 4 neutrons?
a)
Li-6
b)
Li-7
c)
Li-8
d)
they have the same # of neutrons
53.
What do these isotopes of carbon all have in common?
a)
neutrons & mass number
b)
atomic number and neutrons
c)
atomic number and electrons
d)
protons, atomic number, and mass number
54.
How many neutrons
does the isotope of
lithium have?
does the isotope of
lithium have?
a)
8
b)
3
c)
4
d)
5
55.
How many neutrons in C-14? (Carbon's atomic number is 6)
a)
6
b)
7
c)
14
d)
8
56.
The type of particle that moves around the nucleus is a(n) .
a)
proton
b)
ion
c)
neutron
d)
electron
57.
An atom has an atomic number of 15 and a mass number of 31. How many protons are there in the atom?
a)
15
b)
31
c)
16
d)
47
58.
What is the Atomic Number?
a)
7
b)
6.941
c)
3
d)
6
59.
All atoms of the same element have the same
a)
atomic mass
b)
mass number
c)
number of neutrons
d)
atomic number
60.
Neutrons are in the nucleus of the atom.
A neutron has _____________.
A neutron has _____________.
a)
A positive charge
b)
No charge
c)
A negative charge
d)
Twice as much positive charge as a proton
61.
Protons are located in the nucleus of the atom.
A proton has _______________.
A proton has _______________.
a)
No charge
b)
A negative charge
c)
A positive and a negative charge
d)
A positive charge
62.
An electron is in a region outside the nucleus. An electron ____________.
a)
Is larger than a proton and has no charge
b)
Has less mass than a proton and has a negative charge
c)
Is smaller than a proton and has no charge
d)
Has a positive charge
63.
What is the atomic mass of Neon?
a)
10
b)
20
c)
10.18
d)
20.18
64.
What is it called when you split the nucleus of an atom?
a)
Fission
b)
Fusion
65.
The atomic number of an atom is _____________________.
a)
The mass of the atom
b)
The number of protons added to the number of neutrons
c)
The number of protons
d)
Negatively charged
66.
How many nuclei are produced from splitting a nucleus during a standard nuclear fission?
a)
2
b)
4
c)
6
d)
Infinite
67.
This diagram represents a
a)
Fusion model
b)
Fission model
68.
What is true about fusion?
a)
It produces more fuel waste
b)
It pollutes the air
c)
It isn't experimental anymore
d)
It has an abundant fuel supply
69.
Where does fusion occur naturally?
a)
Underwater
b)
All around us
c)
In the radioactive waste
d)
On the sun
70.
The splitting of a nucleus into smaller nuclei is
a)
fusion
b)
fission
c)
half-life
d)
gamma radiation
71.
Takes two small nuclei and combines them into a larger nucleus
a)
fission
b)
fusion
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