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Absolute Dating VHS

Total questions: 9

Worksheet time: 5mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which statement describes what happens to elements during radioactive decay?

a)

They release energy.

b)

They gain new particles.

c)

They lose energy at a varying rate.

d)

They have a consistent number of particles.

2.

Which material undergoes radioactive decay?

a)

all elements that have a half-life

b)

all elements that contain atoms with protons

c)

all elements that have turned into a new

d)

all elements that have a consistent number of particles

3.

Which phrase describes one characteristic of radioactive elements?

a)

are produced in a laboratory

b)

decay at a constant rate

c)

have a consistent number of particles

d)

release energy and particles to maintain radioactivity

4.

The chart shows rate of decay. Which value is being measured in the columns labeled "Fraction remaining” and "Percentage remaining”?

a)

years of decay

b)

quantity of energy

c)

number of stable atoms

d)

amount of material that has not decayed

5.

Study the diagram of radioactive decay. Which option identifies what the arrows in the diagram represent?

a)

atoms and elements

b)

elements and gas

c)

energy and particles

d)

gas and atoms

6.

Which statement accurately describes radioactive dating?

a)

Geologists use only one type of radioactive dating.

b)

Geologists compare parent and daughter elements to determine rock type.

c)

Geologists measure how stable parent elements decay into daughter elements.

d)

Geologists determine half-life as radioactive elements get trapped in rock and break down over time.

7.

Which unstable element is used to determine the age of volcanic rock?

a)

argon

b)

carbon-12

c)

potassium

d)

carbon-14

8.

Which stable element is used to determine the age of volcanic rock?

a)

argon

b)

carbon-14

c)

potassium

d)

carbon-12

9.

The graph shows calculations for potassium-argon dating.

a)

They can estimate that all the potassium will have decayed within 6.5 billion years.

b)

They can tell that 1/8 of the argon gas will be left after 3.9 billion years.

c)

They can determine that a rock is 1.3 billion years old if 1/2 of the potassium has decayed.

d)

They can see that potassium’s half-life varies from every 1.3 billion years to every 5.2 billion years.