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WorksheetsEarth's Geological History
Total questions: 23
Worksheet time: 11mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
According to the law of superposition, which layer is the youngest?
a)
A
b)
B
c)
C
2.
Which division on the geologic time scale is the shortest?
a)
epoch
b)
era
c)
eon
d)
period
3.
If an index fossil is found in two rock layers that are separated by an ocean, what do you know about the relationship between the two rock layers?
a)
they are about the same age
b)
they used to be in the same area
c)
the are made of the same kind of rock
d)
the rock layers are unrelated
4.
Which type of dating method can be used on rock layers by applying the Law of Superposition?
a)
relative dating
b)
absolute dating
c)
radioactive dating
d)
radiometric dating
5.
a)
1
b)
2
c)
3
d)
5
6.
How old do Paleontologists believe the Earth is?
a)
2015 years old
b)
3.6 billion years old
c)
4.6 billion years old
d)
4.6 million years old
7.
Most events on the geologic timeline happened:
a)
a long time ago, near the beginning
b)
more recently, near the modern time
c)
evenly spread out
d)
right in the center of the timeline
8.
Which of the following questions can be answered by studying these fossil layers?
a)
What did the fish eat?
b)
Which organisms lived before/after/or at the same time?
c)
Why did dinosaurs become extinct?
d)
Are reptiles the ancestors to birds or fish?
9.
When scientists use logic to determine the age of one fossil compared to another, they use this type of dating.
a)
Relative
b)
Carbon
c)
Absolute
10.
Relative age of a rock is the number of years that have passed since the rock formed?
a)
true
b)
false
11.
Radiometric dating is often referred to as
a)
total age.
b)
absolute dating.
c)
historic age.
d)
geologic age.
12.
gaps in rock layers caused by erosion are called
a)
law of superposition
b)
unconformities
c)
uniformitarianism
d)
relative dating
13.
the time it takes for half the atoms in an element to decay into something else is called
a)
absolute age dating
b)
relative age dating
c)
half-life
d)
extinct
14.
The ________ states that layers of sediment were originally deposited horizontally under the action of gravity.
a)
law of superposition
b)
law of horizontality
c)
uniformitarianism
d)
unconformities
15.
states that the geologic feature which cuts another is the younger of the two features
a)
law of horizontality
b)
cross cutting relationships
c)
law of superposition
d)
uniformitarianism
16.
Why is the fossil record incomplete?
a)
fossils get eroded away over time
b)
most organisms never became fossils
c)
scavengers and decomposers eat them too quickly
d)
all of the above
17.
The Geologic Time Scale is a record of what?
a)
old geologists
b)
sweet geology music
c)
the known history of rocks and fossils
d)
a list of every living thing ever
18.
What 2 things make a good index fossil?
a)
Good looks and a great smile
b)
widespread and on Earth of a short time
c)
widespread and on Earth for a long time
d)
only found in Clinton Twp and in every rock layer
19.
Which is the correct order of geologic time?
a)
Era >Eon >Period >Epoch
b)
Eon >Era >Period >Epoch
c)
Epoch >Period >Era >Eon
d)
Era >Eon > Epoch >Period
20.
An index fossil can help you
a)
get to know new people
b)
plan your next vacation
c)
determine the relative age of a rock layer
d)
determine the absolute age of a rock layer
21.
a break in the Earths crust
a)
fault
b)
intrusion
c)
extrusion
d)
index fossil
22.
Which of the following is the youngest?
a)
Intrusion X
b)
Fault Y
c)
Layer Z
d)
Fossil W
23.
Which of the following is the oldest?
a)
Layer L
b)
Intrusion D
c)
Intrusion H
d)
Layer E
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