Question 1

Radiometric dating is possible because ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  daughter isotopes are lost
B)  decay constants do not change
C)  experimental and sample error is negligible
D)  parent isotopes are gained
E)  metamorphic and igneous rocks are made of crystalsF) C) and D)
G) C) and E)

Question 2

A clast of granite found in a conglomerate is determined to be one hundred million years old. What does this information suggest about the conglomerate?

Accepted Answer

A)  The conglomerate is older than 100 million years.
B)  The conglomerate is younger than 100 million years.
C)  The conglomerate was exposed to volcanic processes 100 million years ago.
D)  The conglomerate experienced volcanic processes more than 100 million years ago.
E)  We cannot determine anything about the age of the conglomerate from this information.F) A) and B)
G) A) and E)

Question 3

Rock units can be correlated best by examining ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  fossil data, rock types, and key beds
B)  the presence of oil, rock sequence, and key beds
C)  rock type, rock sequence, and the current environment
D)  key beds, rock type, and the current environment
E)  fossil data, rock type, and the presence of oilF) A) and B)
G) C) and D)

Question 4

The most visible signs of human activities, such as cities, factories, and power plants, will not be strongly recorded in the rock record.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Geologic time periods are uniformly divided into increments of five million years.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

When an atom of Uranium-238 undergoes alpha decay, it becomes ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  U-234
B)  U-236
C)  Th-234
D)  Th-236
E)  Th-238F) A) and E)
G) A) and D)

Question 7

The principle of lateral continuity says that if a fault occurs in a sequence of sedimentary rocks, the fault is older than the rocks.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Scientists have coined the ____________________ Epoch to describe present day geologic time and recognize the impact humans have on planet Earth.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Scientists have coined the ____________________ Epoch to...

Question 9

Consider the accompanying figure and place the lettered events in order. Which principles of relative dating did you use and how did you use them? Youngest ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ Oldest

Accepted Answer

Youngest __R__ __U__ __T__ __M...

Question 10

How does relative dating differ from absolute dating?

Accepted Answer

Relative dating involves placi...

Question 11

Fossils cannot usually be dated directly because they are not composed of minerals that naturally contain radioactive isotopes.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Uniformitarianism is the assumption that ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  principles of one branch of science apply to other branches of science
B)  catastrophic events do not impact Earth processes
C)  younger sedimentary rocks are always found at the top of a horizontal rock sequence
D)  present day warming of the atmosphere is unsustainable
E)  present day geologic processes also occurred in the pastF) A) and B)
G) All of the above

Question 13

The placement of events in a sequential order based upon their position in the rock record is referred to as ____ dating.

Accepted Answer

A)  radiometric
B)  absolute
C)  relative
D)  sequential
E)  inferentialF) B) and D)
G) B) and C)

Question 14

What lines of evidence would indicate that a granitic magma body once intruded into a layer of sandstone?

Accepted Answer

1. The sandstone would be meta...

Question 15

A rock sample containing an isotope with a half-life of 12 million years has an initial mass of 72 grams. How much of the parent isotope will be present after three half-lives?

Accepted Answer

A)  4.5 grams
B)  9 grams
C)  18 grams
D)  54 grams
E)  63 gramsF) A) and D)
G) None of the above

Question 16

A half-life is the amount of time required ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  to lose one-half of the daughter isotopes
B)  for the mass of a sample to decrease by half
C)  for one-half of the parent isotopes to decay to daughter isotopes
D)  to gain one-half of the parent isotopes
E)  to accurately date a rock sampleF) A) and B)
G) A) and E)

Question 17

The geologic time scale was initially put together by ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  radiometric dating and correlation
B)  superposition, fossil succession and correlation
C)  lithostratigraphy and biostratigraphy
D)  carbon-14 age dating and lithostratigraphy
E)  geologists in the United StatesF) A) and D)
G) A) and E)

Question 18

A body of strata recognized only on the basis of its fossil content is called a(n)____________________ unit.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A body of strata recognized only on...

Question 19

When an atom undergoes alpha or beta decay, it ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  becomes an ion of the same element
B)  becomes an isotope oh the same element
C)  becomes a completely different element
D)  may or may not become a completely different element
E)  becomes permanently stableF) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 20

What is the approximate age of Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  10,000 years
B)  12.6 million years
C)  3.2 million years
D)  4.6 billion years
E)  13.5 billion yearsF) A) and E)
G) All of the above

Exam 17: Geologic Time: Concepts and Principles

A half-life is the amount of time required ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Radiometric dating is possible because ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The principle of lateral continuity says that if a fault occurs in a sequence of sedimentary rocks, the fault is older than the rocks.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Fossils cannot usually be dated directly because they are not composed of minerals that naturally contain radioactive isotopes.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A rock sample containing an isotope with a half-life of 12 million years has an initial mass of 72 grams. How much of the parent isotope will be present after three half-lives?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The placement of events in a sequential order based upon their position in the rock record is referred to as ____ dating.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Scientists have coined the ____________________ Epoch to describe present day geologic time and recognize the impact humans have on planet Earth.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The most visible signs of human activities, such as cities, factories, and power plants, will not be strongly recorded in the rock record.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How does relative dating differ from absolute dating?

Correct AnswerverifiedRelative dating involves placi...View AnswerShow Answer

A body of strata recognized only on the basis of its fossil content is called a(n)____________________ unit.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When an atom undergoes alpha or beta decay, it ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Geologic time periods are uniformly divided into increments of five million years.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is the approximate age of Earth?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What lines of evidence would indicate that a granitic magma body once intruded into a layer of sandstone?

Correct Answerverified1. The sandstone would be meta...View AnswerShow Answer

Consider the accompanying figure and place the lettered events in order. Which principles of relative dating did you use and how did you use them? Youngest ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ Oldest

Correct AnswerverifiedYoungest __R__ __U__ __T__ __M...View AnswerShow Answer

The geologic time scale was initially put together by ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When an atom of Uranium-238 undergoes alpha decay, it becomes ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Rock units can be correlated best by examining ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A clast of granite found in a conglomerate is determined to be one hundred million years old. What does this information suggest about the conglomerate?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Uniformitarianism is the assumption that ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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Relative dating involves placi...
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1. The sandstone would be meta...
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Consider the accompanying figure and place the lettered events in order. Which principles of relative dating did you use and how did you use them? Youngest Oldest

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Youngest R U T __M...
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