Sedimentary rocks are made from _____.

The oldest layer of sedimentary rock is found _____.

The youngest layer of sedimentary rock is found _____.

What are the traces or remains of an organism that lived long ago?

Fossils are preserved in _____.

______ is how old something is compared to how old something else is.

What is a method of determining whether something is older or younger than something else?

Faults are _____ than the rocks they are formed through.

Intrusions are _____ than the rocks they are formed through.

Lava flows are _____ than the rocks they are formed through.

What are all of Earth's known rocks and the information they contain?

What are the remains of an organism that was common and widespread, but only existed for about 1 million years or less?

What are all of Earth's known fossils and the information they contain?

What are rock layers that are missing in the rock record?

What causes unconformities?

What is the actual age of something?

What is a method of measuring the actual age of something?

What is the amount of time needed for half the amount of unstable particles to change into more stable particles?

What information is needed to determine half-life?

Jacob has one older brother and one younger sister. He wants to explain relative dating to them using their ages as an example. Which statement describes their ages using relative dating?

The diagram shows one kind of radioactive decay that is used for dating. Which statement best describes what information is needed to determine the age of a rock sample using this type of dating method?

Which method of finding the relative age of rocks do scientists often use?

Earth is approximately 4.6 billion years old. How do scientists determine this?

Which statement best describes an index fossil?

Basalt is a gray or black igneous rock. Pilar uses an absolute dating method to study a sample of basalt. Which phrase indicates the age of the rock in years?

The diagram shows rock layers that are cut by a fault and two bodies of rock (Rock 1 and Rock 2). What are the relative ages of the features in order of oldest to youngest?

Early in the Paleozoic Era, plants began to colonize the continents. Which change to Earth’s surface most likely happened as a result?

How does sedimentary rock usually form?

What is the approximate age of Earth?

Which sentence best describes the process of relative dating?

In what way are eras different from periods?

How does the law of crosscutting relationships explain the age of a fault caused by an earthquake?

Which definition describes absolute dating?

Early in Earth’s history, the composition of the atmosphere was quite different from what it is today. When did Earth’s atmosphere first change due to living organisms?

The existence of humans on Earth represents a very short amount of time on the geologic time scale. In which epoch do we currently live?

Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of plants and animals that have lived on Earth throughout Earth’s history. How does the fossil record of animals compare with animals that exist today?

Which statement correctly defines geology?

A geologist is studying three layers of sedimentary rock in an area. The layers have not shifted from their original positions. The geologist records the relative ages of the rocks. The bottom layer is listed as the oldest. The top layer is listed as the youngest. What did the geologist use to determine the relative ages of the rocks?

Fossils are often hardened remains of organisms that once lived, such as a bone or tooth. Which characteristic of metamorphic rock makes it unlikely for fossils to be found in this type of rock?

Julia has two samples of rocks for which she wants to find the absolute ages. She has a sample of sandstone and a sample of granite. Which statement explains why she can more easily date the granite sample?

Before life evolved adaptations for living on the land, a major change took place in one of Earth’s systems. Which change made it possible for life as we know it to live on the land?

Many geologic processes that shape Earth today also shaped Earth in the past.

Which rock layer is older?

What can cause appearances of new organisms or disappearances of previously existing organisms in the fossil record?

What are things timelines show?

What do we use to organize Earth's long history into manageable parts?

As we go further back in time, we have _____ rock and fossil information.

What are the major eons of the geologic time scale?

What eras make up the Phanerozoic Eon?

What epoch do we live in?

What period do we live in?

What era do we live in?

What eon do we live in?

The divisions of the geologic time scale are equal.

What three eons make up precambrian time?

What three periods make up the Cenozoic Era?

What does this diagram tell you about these different time periods?

Which statements correctly describe the geologic time scale?

What is the main criterion that scientists use to decide where to place the boundaries between the major divisions of the geologic time scale?

When did the dinosaurs become extinct?

Which of these happened in Precambrian time?

Which event allowed for greater diversity of life during the Paleozoic era?

This table shows some of the major events in Earth’s history. Which event marks the end of the Permian Period?

The diagram shows some of the divisions of the geologic timescale. The extinction of the dinosaurs happened at the end of which period?

The diagram shows a cross-section of rock strata. Which of these likely created the patterns seen in the oldest layers of this figure?

Examine the rock strata data shown. Which layer shows evidence of a rapidly changing environment?

The diagram shows several layers of rock. Which rock layer is older than layer H?

A geologist is studying a small island. He wants to know the order of historic geologic events. Which question will lead the scientist to the evidence for this study?

The diagram shows a geologic cross-section of rock strata. A fault recently appeared in the rock strata. Where is there evidence of a fault in older layers of the rock?

Trilobites were a diverse class of organisms that left behind many fossils that scientists can now study. The table shows the number of trilobite families found in layers of rock from different periods in Earth’s history. Which explanation best explains the data collected from trilobite fossils?

An excavation revealed layers of sedimentary rock with fossils in each layer.

In which layer where the oldest fossils located?

Scientists often use cross-sections of rock to determine the sequence of events in Earth’s history. The cross-section shown represents 30 million years. How old is rock layer Z?

Scientists often use cross-sections of rock to determine the sequence of events in Earth’s history. The cross-section shown represents 30 million years. How old is rock layer Y?

Scientists often use cross-sections of rock to determine the sequence of events in Earth’s history. The cross-section shown represents 30 million years. How old is rock layer W?

Scientists often use cross-sections of rock to determine the sequence of events in Earth’s history. The cross-section shown represents 30 million years. How old is rock layer X?

The principle of relative dating states that layers of Earth were deposited in order with the oldest layers below the younger layers. What is the correct order of geologic periods from oldest to youngest?

Scientists found large fossil deposits in Canada in the early 1900s. In the 1980s scientists found a rock formation with similar fossils in China. Can the following conclusion be supported by evidence from the geologic record?

The fossils from the two areas are probably very different ages because they came from different continents.

Scientists found large fossil deposits in Canada in the early 1900s. In the 1980s scientists found a rock formation with similar fossils in China. Can the following conclusion be supported by evidence from the geologic record?

The fossils found in the 1980s are probably much younger because they were found more recently.

Scientists found large fossil deposits in Canada in the early 1900s. In the 1980s scientists found a rock formation with similar fossils in China. Can the following conclusion be supported by evidence from the geologic record?

The group of fossils with more extinct organisms is probably older than the deposit with fewer extinct organisms.

Scientists found large fossil deposits in Canada in the early 1900s. In the 1980s scientists found a rock formation with similar fossils in China. Can the following conclusion be supported by evidence from the geologic record?

The fossil organisms from deeper rock layers probably lived long before the fossil organisms from shallower layers.

Will analyzing rock strata or fossil data provide the relative ages of rock layers?

Will analyzing rock strata or fossil data provide the absolute date at which a fault formed?

Will analyzing rock strata or fossil data provide information about the type of environment a rock formed in?

Will analyzing rock strata or fossil data provide information about the way organisms have changed over time?

Will analyzing rock strata or fossil data provide information about how the environment varied over a horizontal area?

Which of the following time periods are the longest in the geologic time scale?

Which of the following time periods are the oldest in the geologic time scale?

What two methods are used for determining the age of rocks and fossils?

What is half-life?

Which is true about relative dating?

Which law states that in an undisturbed sequence of rocks, the oldest rocks are on the bottom and the youngest rocks are on top?

Which law states that any feature that cuts across a sequence of rocks is younger than everything it cuts?

Which law states that any rock fragment that's included inside of another rock is older than the rock in which it's included?