Quiz about Radiometric Dating

Question 1

The length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay is its...

Accepted Answer

half-life

Answer

the relative age of something

Answer

age

Answer

eon

Question 2

Scientists use radioactive decay to measure...

Accepted Answer

absolute time

Answer

the 'relative' age of something

Answer

half-lives of isotopes

Answer

how unstable a nucleus of an atom is

Question 3

When an unstable radioactive atom decays, it decays into:

Accepted Answer

a more stable atom (called the daughter product)

Answer

a less stable atom (called the unstable isotope)

Answer

the exact same atom but with less pure energy

Answer

empty space

Question 4

Radiometric dating is possible because the rates of decay of radioactive isotopes:

Accepted Answer

are constant

Answer

change over time

Answer

change from place to place

Answer

vary widely

Question 5

The UNSTABLE element that undergoes radioactive decay is known as the...

Accepted Answer

parent element

Answer

daughter element

Answer

half-life

Answer

carbon-14

Question 6

The STABLE element that is the product of radioactive decay is known as the...

Accepted Answer

daughter element

Answer

half-life

Answer

parent element

Answer

Parent to Daughter Ratio

Question 7

An isotope is an element that has either extra or missing

Accepted Answer

Neutrons

Answer

Protons

Answer

Electrons

Answer

Dance partners

Question 8

Radiometric dating is based on which of the following ASSUMPTIONS?

Accepted Answer

all answers

Answer

a closed system

Answer

no daughter product was present initially

Answer

decay rates are constant throughout time

Question 9

You find a rock sample with radioactive atoms present. If 25% of the original radioactive atoms were present, how many half-lives has the rock been around for? (Hint, at Half-Life = 0, you start with 100%)

Accepted Answer

2

Answer

zero

Answer

1

Answer

3

Question 10

Two isotopes of carbon are carbon-12 and carbon-14. These isotopes differ from one another by two protons.

Accepted Answer

false

Answer

true

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the nucleus of an atom of carbon-14?

Accepted Answer

Six protons, eight neutrons

Answer

Eight protons, six neutrons

Answer

10 protons, four neutrons

Answer

Four protons, 10 neutrons

Question 12

The time it takes for 50% of the nuclei in a radioactive sample to decay to its stable isotope is called _____.

Accepted Answer

the half-life

Answer

the daughter product

Answer

geologic time

Answer

the half-time

Question 13

The graph shows the generalized rate of decay of radioactive isotopes over 5 half-lives.

If the original mass of a radioactive isotope was 24 grams, how many grams would remain after 3 half-lives?

Accepted Answer

3 grams

Answer

12 grams

Answer

1.5 grams

Answer

6 grams

Question 14

What percentage of Rubidium-87 will remain after 4 half-lives?

Accepted Answer

6.25%

Answer

25%

Answer

12.5%

Answer

3.125%

Question 15

How many grams of Carbon-14 will remain after 17,100 years- C-14 has a half life 5,730 so 17,100 is about 3 half lives?

Accepted Answer

8 g

Answer

32 g

Answer

16 g

Answer

4 g

Question 16

What can you learn about an organism from the amount of carbon-14 in its remains?

Accepted Answer

How long ago it died.

Answer

What its diet consisted of.

Answer

Which biological kingdom it belonged to

Answer

Which living animals it's most closely related to.

Question 17

Why can't carbon-14 dating be used on dinosaur remains?

Accepted Answer

Carbon dating is only accurate to 60,000 years ago-- well after the age of the dinosaurs.

Answer

The remains of living creatures cannot be accurately dated with carbon-14

Answer

The carbon-14 isotope did not exist during the age of the dinosaurs.

Answer

Dinosaurs were reptiles who had no carbon-14 in their systems.

Question 18

How does Carbon-14 form?

Accepted Answer

Cosmic particles change stable Nitrogen-14 into Carbon-14

Answer

Unstable C-14 has always existed in its current amount

Answer

Unstable C-14 forms in the core of the Earth, volcanism brings it to the surface of Earth

Answer

Most Carbon is unstable C-14 formed within organic molecules

Question 19

How does Carbon-14 enter into other animals so that radiocarbon dating can be determined?

Accepted Answer

Plants get consumed (eaten) are a part of the food chain that have assimilated C-14 into their organic molecules

Answer

Organisms already have C-14 in their structures due to being in the Sun

Answer

Cosmic particles change stable Nitrogen-14 into Carbon-14 while in the organism after it is ingested

Answer

C-14 is already found within organic molecules

Question 20

The parent to daughter ratio of K-40:Ar-40 is 1:7. The 1:7 ratio is found in thousands of tests (using a mass spectrometer).

How old is the sample?

Accepted Answer

3.75 billion years old

Answer

70 billion years old

Answer

2.5 billion years old

Answer

1.25 billion years old

Question 21

The parent to daughter ratio of U-235 : Pb-207 is 1:15. The 1:15 ratio is found in thousands of tests (using a mass spectrometer).

How old is the sample?

Accepted Answer

2.8 billion years old (4 half lives)

Answer

704 million years old (1 half life)

Answer

2.1 billion years old (3 half lives)

Answer

18 billion years old (4 half lives)

Question 22

The parent to daughter ratio (C-14 : N-14) of a fossil begin radiometrically dates is 1:3.

Which of the following is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

All answers are true

Answer

The fossil is about 12,000 years

Answer

We are using Radiocarbon Dating methods to determine its age

Answer

C-14 has a relatively short half-life

Question 23

Radiometric dating is possible because the rates of decay of radioactive isotopes _____.

Accepted Answer

are constant

Answer

change over time

Answer

change from place to place

Answer

vary widely

Question 24

If the half-life of a radioactive group of atoms is 100 years, then how old is the rock if there have been two half-lives?

Accepted Answer

200 years

Answer

25 years

Answer

400 years

Answer

800 years

Question 25

How many grams of Carbon-14 will remain after 17,100 years- C-14 has a half life 5,730 so 17,100 is about 3 half lives?

Accepted Answer

8 g

Answer

32 g

Answer

16 g

Answer

4 g

Question 26

The graph shows the generalized rate of decay of radioactive isotopes over 5 half-lives.
If the original mass of a radioactive isotope was 24 grams, how many grams would remain after 3 half-lives?

Accepted Answer

3

Answer

12

Answer

24

Answer

6

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