Rock Dating Flashcard

Front

What is relative dating?

Back

A method used to determine the age of rocks by comparing them to other rocks to find out which is older or younger.

Front

What does relative dating help scientists find out?

Back

Which rock is older or younger.

Front

What is radiometric dating?

Back

A technique used to date materials by measuring the decay of radioactive isotopes.

Front

What does radiometric dating measure?

Back

The exact age of the rock.

Front

True or False: Radiometric dating gives us the exact age of fossils.

Back

True.

Front

What is the Law of Superposition?

Back

A principle stating that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest rocks are at the bottom and the youngest are at the top.

Front

Which rock layer is the youngest?

Back

The layer labeled 'A'.

Front

What is a fossil?

Back

The preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms.

Front

What is the significance of studying rock layers?

Back

It helps scientists understand Earth's history and the evolution of life.

Front

What is an isotope?

Back

Variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.