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Relative & Absolute Dating practice

Total questions: 27

Worksheet time: 40mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
States that younger rocks lie above older rocks if the layers have not been disturbed
a)
Law of crosscutting
b)
Law of superposition
c)
Relative Dating
d)
Unconformity
2.

Which of the following is the oldest?

a)

Layer L

b)

Intrusion D

c)

Intrusion H

d)

Layer A

3.
The rock formation labeled "P" is a(n)...
a)
fault
b)
intrusion
c)
inclusion
d)
unconformity
4.

What rock in the Oldest?

a)

Conglomerate

b)

Shale

c)

Breccia

d)

Sandstone

5.
Which rock layer in the diagram seems to be the oldest?
a)
F
b)
E
c)
B
d)
A
6.
According to the law of superposition, which layer is the youngest?
a)
A
b)
B
c)
C
7.
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
8.

Which layer is OLDER?

a)

Layer O

b)

Intrusion P

c)

Layer K

d)

Layer L

9.

Which is OLDER?

a)

Fault E

b)

Intrusion D

c)

Layer A

d)

Layer B

10.

Which is oldest?

a)

Intrusion M

b)

Layer O

c)

Fault J

d)

Layer D

11.
How do geologists use relative dating?
a)
Placing rocks in order from youngest to oldest
b)
Placing rocks in order by minerals they contain
c)
Classifying rocks by different textures
d)
Classifying rocks by different isotopes
12.

Rock layers that are missing or out of order due to things such as erosion, faulting, or intrusions is called...

a)

Law of Superposition

b)

Law of Crosscutting

c)

Relative Dating

d)

Unconformity

13.
Relative dating of rock layers tells us that the deeper we dig, _______.
a)
the younger the rocks get
b)
the smellier the rocks get
c)
the harder the rocks get
d)
the older the rocks get
14.
Letter "F" is a....
a)
inclusion
b)
intrusion
c)
fault
d)
unconformity 
15.

What is the most recent event to happen?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

16.
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
17.

If the half-life of a radioactive group of atoms is 100 years, then how old is the rock if there have been four half-lives?

a)

25 years

b)

200 years

c)

400 years

d)

800 years

18.
How old is the Earth?
a)
4.6 billion years
b)
1.4 billion years
c)
4.6 million years
d)
6000 years
19.
The original element that undergoes radioactive decay is known as the...
a)
daughter element
b)
half-life
c)
parent element
d)
carbon-14
20.

The % of the parent isotope remaining after 2 Half Lives.

a)

50%

b)

25%

c)

12.5%

d)

6.25%

21.

The element that is the product of radioactive decay is known as the...

a)

daughter element

b)

half-life

c)

parent element

d)

carbon-14

22.

If the half-life of a radioactive group of atoms is 300 years, then how old is the rock if there have been three half-lives?

a)

37.5 years

b)

100 years

c)

600 years

d)

900 years

23.

If the half-life of a radioactive group of atoms is 500 years, then how many half-lives have passed after 2000 years?

a)

1 half-life

b)

2 half-lives

c)

3 half-lives

d)

4 half-lives

24.

If you had 1000 atoms of Element A, then how many parent atoms would you have after 1 half-life?

a)

75 atoms

b)

250 atoms

c)

500 atoms

d)

125 atoms

25.

If you had 1000 atoms of Element B, then how many parent atoms would you have after 2 half-lives?

a)

75 atoms

b)

250 atoms

c)

500 atoms

d)

125 atoms

26.

How many half-lives have passed if there 25% parent isotope left?

a)

1 half-life

b)

2 half-lives

c)

3 half-lives

d)

4 half-lives

27.

How many half-lives have passed if there 6.25% parent material left?

a)

1 half-life

b)

2 half-lives

c)

3 half-lives

d)

4 half-lives