Fossils/Dating/Laws

Scientists hypothesize that 66 million years ago an enormous asteroid hit Earth, sending out a cloud of dust into the Earth's atmosphere.

Which of the following would be evidence to support this hypothesis?

• fossils show that all plant and animal life became extinct

• the fossils of ancient trees show very little growth during this time

• a large portion of the asteroid is still embedded in the Earth's crust

• an identical layer of sediment can be seen in different parts of the world

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

The oldest rock formation identified on Earth is found on the shoreline of Hudson Bay in Canada. This rock formed 4.28 billion years ago.

Which information does a scientist need to most accurately determine the age of a rock?

• the percentage of each mineral that makes up the rock

• the thickness of younger rock layers that cover the rock

• the amount of each radioactive element present in the rock

• the amount of weathering present on the surface of the rock

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

Which of the following is true about how environmental conditions have changed since the time life began on earth? 

• conditions have remained about the same everywhere on Earth, with only minor changes from year to year

• conditions have remained the same in the oceans but have changed on land

• conditions have remained the same except for a few sudden changes in certain locations due to disasters, such as a meteorite striking the Earth

• Conditions have changed in significant ways everywhere on Earth, with some of these changes happening suddenly and others more gradually

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

An unusual type of fossil clam is found in rock layers high in the Swiss Alps. The same type of fossil clam is also found in the Rocky Mountains of North America.

From this, scientists conclude that

• glaciers carried the fossils up the mountains

• the Rocky Mountains and the Swiss Alps are both volcanic in origin

• clams once lived in mountains, but have since evolved into sea-dwelling creatures

• the layers of rocks in which the fossils were found are from the same geologic age

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Thomasine has a sample of materials and needs to determine its age. She can determine its relative-age by comparing the rock layer the sample came from to another rock layer.

Why is it sometimes difficult to determine the age of materials in this way?

• the oldest layers of rock are too close to the Earth's liquid mantle

• the youngest layers of rock do not contain enough materials to evaluate

• the sequence of rock layers can be disturbed by erosion and earthquakes

• the rock layers have too many different types of rocks to determine their age

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Jacob has one older brother and one younger sister. He wants to explain relative dating to them using their ages as an example.

Which of these statements describes their ages using relative dating?

• their ages are 14, 12 and 9

• Jacob is younger than his brother, but older than his sister

• they are all about the same age

• the boys have different ages than the girl

Basalt is a gray or black igneous rock. Julia uses an absolute dating method to study a sample of basalt.

What will the method help her learn about the basalt sample?

• the age of the sample

• the mineral composition of the sample

• the physical structure of the sample

• the geographic distribution of the sample

Which of these provides evidence for the theory that natural processes have caused Earth's continents to come together and separate repeatedly over time?

• formation of fresh rock during a volcanic eruption

• development of a new fault line during an earthquake

• fossils of the same plant species discovered on multiple continents

• rocks of the same mineral composition found at the source and mouth of a river

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which statement below is not evidence that can be used to support theories that Earth evolves over geologic time?

• Africa is about the same shape as it was before it moved

• South America and Africa have coastlines that fit together

• Oceans have formed and grown between continents

• modern day Asia appears to have rotated clockwise over time

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Based on the Law of Superposition, which of the following statements about the land feature is true?

• the outer volcano layer is older than the most internal volcano layer

• the top ground layer is younger than the most internal volcano layer

• the rock in the volcano's chamber is older than the deepest ground layer

• the outer volcano layer is younger than the deepest ground layer

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4