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Fossils and Dating Methods Quiz

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 8mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What are the different mediums used to create fossils?

a)

Sand, mud, ice, water, lava, rock

b)

Soil, clay, metal, glass, wood

c)

Plastic, rubber, fabric, paper, stone

d)

Air, fire, smoke, dust, ash

2.

What is the difference between relative dating and radioactive dating?

a)

Relative dating uses rock strata; radioactive dating uses fossil size

b)

Relative dating uses fossil color; radioactive dating uses fossil shape

c)

Relative dating uses rock strata; radioactive dating uses radioactive isotopes

d)

Relative dating uses fossil weight; radioactive dating uses fossil texture

3.

What are fossils?

a)

Traces of organisms from the past

b)

Modern remains of plants

c)

Artificially created rock formations

d)

Newly formed rock layers

4.

Where are most fossils found?

a)

In sedimentary rock

b)

In igneous rock

c)

In metamorphic rock

d)

In volcanic rock

5.

What are the layers formed by sediment and small rock particles called?

a)

Strata

b)

Crust

c)

Mantle

d)

Core

6.

What is found at the bottom of rock strata?

a)

Oldest layers

b)

Newest layers

c)

Middle layers

d)

Random layers

7.

What is an example of preserved remains?

a)

Encased in amber

b)

Floating in water

c)

Buried in soil

d)

Exposed to air

8.

What is the half-life of Carbon-14?

a)

5730 years

b)

1000 years

c)

2000 years

d)

3000 years

9.

What is the term for isotopes that decay into other isotopes over time?

a)

Parent isotopes

b)

Child isotopes

c)

Sibling isotopes

d)

Cousin isotopes

10.

What is the term for the isotopes formed from decaying parent isotopes?

a)

Daughter isotopes

b)

Son isotopes

c)

Brother isotopes

d)

Sister isotopes

11.

What is the process of using rock strata to determine the relative age of fossils called?

a)

Relative dating

b)

Absolute dating

c)

Fossil dating

d)

Age dating

12.

What is the process of using radioactive isotopes to determine the actual age of fossils called?

a)

Radioactive dating

b)

Relative dating

c)

Fossil dating

d)

Age dating

13.

What are mineralized remains?

a)

Fossils turned into minerals

b)

Fossils turned into water

c)

Fossils turned into air

d)

Fossils turned into fire

14.

What carries small rock particles to lakes and seas?

a)

Water

b)

Wind

c)

Fire

d)

Ice

15.

What forms when dead organisms are buried by layers of sediment?

a)

New rock layers

b)

New plant life

c)

New animal species

d)

New water bodies