Free Printable Relative & Absolute Dating

Worksheets

Relative & Absolute Dating

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 37mins

Name

Class

Date

States that younger rocks lie above older rocks if the layers have not been disturbed

Law of crosscutting

Law of superposition

Relative Dating

Unconformity

How does the law of crosscutting explain the age of a fault?

The fault is younger than the rocks above it.

The fault is younger than the rocks it cuts through.

The fault is older than the rocks above it.

The fault is older than the rocks it cuts through.

What are the relative ages of the features in order from oldest to youngest?

Limestone, Basalt, Fault, Siltstone

Siltstone, Fault, Basalt, Limestone

Limestone, Fault, Basalt, Siltstone

Limestone, Siltstone, Fault, Basalt

Which of the following is the oldest?

Layer L

Intrusion D

Intrusion H

Layer E

Which of the following correctly lists the layers in order from oldest to youngest?

A, B, C, D, E

E, B, C, D, A

E, D, C, B, A

C, B, A, D, E

Used to determine whether an object is older or younger than other objects

Superposition

Relative Dating

Fossil

Unconformity

How does sedimentary rock usually form?

Vertically

Diagonally

Folding

Horizontally

A break in the geologic record that is made when rock layers are eroded over a long period of time

Law of Superposition

Law of Crosscutting

Relative Dating

Unconformity

Uses radioactive elements near the fossils to determine the actual age of the fossils.

Relative Dating

Absolute Dating

10.

How does absolute age differ from relative age?

only absolute dating indicates which rock is older than another

only absolute dating finds the age in years

only relative dating finds the age in years

11.

Above what layer is there an unconformity?

12.

A is older than layer C

TRUE

FALSE

13.

What type of unconformity is shown here?

Non-conformity

Disconformity

Angular unconformity

14.

What type of unconformity is shown here?

Non-conformity

Disconformity

Angular unconformity

15.

What is the correct order of the rock layers from oldest to youngest?

F, E, C, B, A, D

F, E, D, C, B, A

A, B, C, D, E, F

D, F, E, C, B, A

16.

The length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay is its...

era

age

half-life

eon

17.

Radiometric dating is possible because the rates of decay of radioactive isotopes _____.

change over time

change from place to place

are constant

vary widely

18.

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?

25 years

200 years

400 years

800 years

19.

The original element that undergoes radioactive decay is known as the...

daughter element

half-life

parent element

carbon-14

20.

What is the half-life of iodine-131?

32 days

8 days

16 days

24 days

21.

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

50%

25%

12.5%

6.25%

22.

An element that has broken down and released particles and energy is said to be _______________.

radioactive

subatomic

23.

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

daughter element

half-life

parent element

carbon-14

24.

Radiometric dating is possible because the rates of decay of radioactive isotopes _____.

change over time

change from place to place

are constant

vary widely

25.

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?

37.5 years

100 years

600 years

900 years

100 %

Relative & Absolute Dating

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 37mins

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