WorksheetsA Journey Through Fossil and Radiometric Dating
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 11mins
What is a fossil?
A type of mineral
The remains or impression of a prehistoric organism
An historical artifact
A layer of rock
What does the Law of Superposition establish?
The oldest rocks are on top of the younger rocks
The younger rocks are on top of the older rocks
All rock layers are the same age
Rocks can be dated based on their color
What does the term "relative age" mean in geology?
The exact age of a rock in years
The age of a rock compared to the ages of rock layers
The age of the fossils within the rock
The age of the Earth
What is radioactive decay?
The process by which a layer of rock erodes over time
The process by which a new element is formed
The process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation
The process by which fossils are formed
What is a half-life?
The time it takes for half of a radioactive substance to decompose
The time it takes for a fossil to form
The time it takes for half of a rock layer to erode
The time it takes for a new species to evolve
What type of dating method uses the decomposition of Carbon-14?
Relative dating
Absolute dating
Superposition dating
Stratigraphic dating
What is the maximum effective range for Carbon-14 dating?
50,000 years
500,000 years
5,000 years
5 million years
Which of the following is NOT a type of fossil?
Mold fossil
Trace fossil
Mold fossil
Synthetic fossil
What can be inferred from a rock layer that is interrupted by a series of faults?
The faults are younger than the rock layer
The rock layer is younger than the faults
The faults and the rock layer are the same age
The rock layer must contain fossils
Why is Carbon-14 dating generally not used to date rocks?
Rocks do not contain carbon
Carbon-14 dating is only effective for organic materials
Rocks are too old to be dated with Carbon-14
Carbon-14 is only found in animals, not in rocks
If the oldest layer of a rock is 80 million years old, why could there NOT be a rock layer below it that is 75 million years old?
(a) are scientists that study fossils
Scientists find a fossil of a fish on top of a mountain. What kind of evidence does the fossil provide scientists about the way this area might have changed over time?
It shows that the animals found on the mountain today evolved from fish.
It shows that fish were once able to live without water.
It shows that the mountain may have once been under water and raised up by natural processes.
It shows that oceans can change quickly and become land.
Scientists theorize that hundreds of millions of years ago, all of the continents that exist today were combined into one landmass called Pangaea. What evidence do scientists have to support this theory?
the diversity of modern organisms
the fossil record
temperature changes on Earth over the last several decades
water samples from every ocean on Earth
Imagine two rocks. One rock contains nearly all of its original potassium-40. In a second rock, most of the potassium-40 has decayed. Which statement about the first rock is TRUE?
It is younger than the second rock.
It is a metamorphic rock.
It is harder than the second rock
It is older than the second rock
