WorksheetsAbsolute Dating
Total questions: 21
Worksheet time: 5hrs 15mins
Determining actual age of an event or object in years is called
absolute dating
radioactive decay
half-life
radiometric dating
The breakdown of a radioactive isotope into the stable isotope of the same element or of another element is called
absolute dating
radioactive decay
half-life
radiometric dating
The time needed for half of a sample of a radioactive substance to undergo radioactive decay to form daughter isotopes is called
absolute dating
radioactive decay
half-life
radiometric dating
Finding the absolute age of a sample by determining the relative percentage of a radioactive parent isotope and a stable daughter isotope is called
absolute dating
radioactive decay
half-life
radiometric dating
Atoms of the same element that have a different number of neutrons are called
absolute dating
radioactive decay
half-life
isotopes
How much of a radioactive parent isotope remains after one half-life has passed?
all of the parent isotope because half-life refers to the time it takes for half of a radioactive substance to undergo radioactive decay
half of the original amount because half-life refers to the time it takes for half of a radioactive substance to undergo radioactive decay
one quarter of the original amount because half-life refers to the time it takes for half of a radioactive substance to undergo radioactive decay
If a parent isotope is at 16 and the daughter isotope is at 0, what will happen to the parent isotope after one half-life?
the parent isotope stays 16
the parent isotope becomes 8
the parent isotope becomes 4
What is the best type of rock for radiometric dating?
sedimentary rock
igneous rock
regular rock
coarse rock
Methods of radiometric dating are
radiocarbon dating
potassium-argon dating
uranium-lead dating
The ages of these can be found using radiocarbon dating.
wood
bones
shells
other organic remains
You find a bone in a rock that you think is about 500,000 years old. Would you use radiocarbon dating to find the age of the bone?
Yes, radiocarbon dating has no time frame on when it can be used.
No, if the rock is about 500,000 years old then the bone is likely that old also. Radiocarbon dating is for organic material no older than about 45,000 years.
Argon is the daughter isotope of potassium.
True
False
Potassium-argon dating is used to date igneous volcanic rock.
True
False
Potassium-argon dating is for rocks that date between about 100,000 years and a few billion years old.
True
False
Uranium-lead dating is based on measuring the amount of lead daughter isotope in a sample that had began the radioactive decaying process.
True
False
Radiometric dating can be used to date how old Earth is by using rocks from Earth.
True
False
Meteorites that have fallen to Earth have been used to help date how old Earth really is because they have fallen from our solar system.
True
False
The absolute ages of rock samples that have been found throughout our solar system date back to 6.4 billion years ago. That tells us Earth is roughly 6.4 billion years old.
True
False
To be an index fossil
the organism from which the fossil formed must have lived during a relatively short geologic time span
the fossils of the organism must be relatively common (meaning several of this type of organism) and must be found over a large area
must also have features that make them different from other fossils
Uranium-lead dating is used on igneous rocks that are between 100 million years and billions of years old.
True
False
Index fossils
determine the absolute age of rock layers they are found in
distinct and existed for a short period of time
