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Radiometric Dating

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 13mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which is NOT a method to date the oldest earth rock, mars rock, moon rocks, or meteors?

a)

Stratigraphic layering

b)

Crater density

c)

radiometric dating

d)

tree rings

2.
When does radioactive decay occur?
a)
When the nucleus of an isotope is unstable
b)
When the nucleus of an isotope is stable
c)
When the electrons of an isotope are spinning
d)
When the electrons of an isotope are shared with another isotope
3.

An atom with a different number of protons and neutrons

a)

electrons

b)

isotopes

c)

ions

d)

reaction partners

4.

How many grams of Carbon-14 will remain after 17,100 years- C-14 has a half life 5,730 so 17,100 is about 3 half lives?

a)

32 g

b)

16 g

c)

8 g

d)

4 g

5.

How many half-lives have passed if 12.5% 14C remains?

a)

1 Half-life

b)

2 Half-lives

c)

3 Half-lives

d)

4 Half-lives

6.

What percentage of Rubidium-87 will remain after 4 half-lives?

a)

25%

b)

12.5%

c)

6.25%

d)

3.125%

7.

The shaded boxes represent the undecayed atoms for Isotope "X". If Isotope X has a half-life of 1,000 years, how old is this sample?

a)

1,000 years

b)

2,000 years

c)

3,000 years

d)

4,000 years

8.

When an unstable radioactive atom decays, it usually turns into:

a)

a more radioactive atom

b)

a more stable atom

c)

the exact same atom but with less pure energy

d)

empty space

9.
Radiometric dating is possible because the rates of decay of radioactive isotopes _____.
a)
change over time
b)
change from place to place
c)
are constant
d)
vary widely
10.
The time it takes for 50% of the nuclei in a radioactive sample to decay to its stable isotope is called _____.
a)
the daughter product
b)
geologic time
c)
the half-life
d)
the half-time
11.
You find a rock sample with radioactive atoms present.  If 12.5% of the original radioactive atoms were present, how many half-lives has the rock been around for? (Hint, at Half-Life = 0, you start with 100%)
a)
zero
b)
1
c)
2
d)
3
12.
You find a rock sample with radioactive atoms present.  If 25% of the original radioactive atoms were present, how many half-lives has the rock been around for? (Hint, at Half-Life = 0, you start with 100%)
a)
zero
b)
1
c)
2
d)
3
13.
If the half-life of a radioactive group of atoms is 100 years, then how old is the rock if there have been two half-lives?
a)
25 years
b)
200 years
c)
400 years
d)
800 years
14.

Two isotopes of carbon are carbon-12 and carbon-14.  These isotopes differ from one another by ______________

a)

2 protons

b)

2 neutrons

c)

2 atoms

d)

2 electrons

15.
which atom has  4 neutrons?
a)
Li-6
b)
Li-7
c)
Li-8
d)
they have the same # of neutrons
16.
Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different #’s of __________ & therefore different __________.
a)
n0 ;  atomic #’s
b)
p+ ; atomic #’s
c)
e- ; atomic masses
d)
n0 ; atomic masses
17.
How old is our solar system?
a)

4.5 billion years

b)
13.8 billion years
c)
6,000 years
d)
15,000 years
18.
When the inner planets (and moons) were bombarded by asteroids, what did the asteroids leave behind?
a)
craters
b)
calderas
c)
mountains
d)
valleys
19.
Why is Mercury covered with craters, but Earth is not?
a)

Earth's atmosphere burns up most asteroids and has weathering and erosion

b)

Earth's moon blocks asteroids, making the moon have more craters

c)

asteroids just missed Earth due to the magnetic field

d)

most asteroids are deflected by the atmosphere due to the stratosphere pressures

20.

There are ionizing (harmful) radiation and nonionizing radiation. When are you exposed to nonionizing radiation?

a)

when you are in sunlight

b)

when you watch tv

c)

when you heat up an object in the microwave

d)

all of these expose you to radiation

e)

when you are near the ground

21.
The period of heavy bombardment is over, but are asteroid impacts still a danger?
a)
Yes, and we don't have a solution to stop them!
b)
No, they all burn up in the atmosphere
c)
No, because we can blow them up with nukes
d)
only if Jupiter's orbit shifts again
22.
If you score 76, 85, 97, and 82 on your math tests, what would your average score be? 
a)
82
b)
90
c)
85
d)
88
23.

Which is a synonym for "average?"

a)

median

b)

mode

c)

range

d)

mean

24.

Find the average of 11, 5, 2

a)

4

b)

5

c)

6

d)

7

25.

How much C14 will remain in a fossil after 17,190 years?

a)

35%

b)

25%

c)

12.5%

d)

7%

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