Law of Superposition Practice

Four fossils were discovered and identified

according to the rock layer in which each

was found. Which is the oldest fossil?

• bone

• fish

• shell

• fern leaf

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Which is a process that allows scientists to compare rock layers with others in a sequence to determine their age?

• radiometric dating

• absolute dating

• relative dating

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

What can be concluded about the age of fossils in undisturbed rock layers?

• The top layer has the oldest fossils.

• The bottom layer has the oldest fossils.

• The top layer has the oldest and youngest fossils.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Which is used to find the relative age of a rock?

• composition of rock layers

• position of rock layers

• carbon-14 dating

• uranium dating

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Based on the diagram, which is true?

• Layer U is the oldest.

• Layer Z is the youngest.

• Layer T is older than layer S.

• Layer X is older than layer Y.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Which is the best predictor of the relative age of a layer of rock?

• thickness of the layer

• position of the layer

• length of the layer

• size of the layer

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

The rock layers below were dated using the radioactive decay method.

If the layers have been undisturbed, which best represents their arrangement from bottom to top?

• W, X, Y, Z

• X, Y, W, Z

• Z, W, Y, X

• Z, Y, X, W

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

The evidence in these rock layers best supports which conclusion?

• The oldest fossils in this section of rock are trilobites.

• Eurypterids are related to modern-day scorpions and crabs.

• Eurypterids were the least common type of organism in this

  section of rock.

• There is some overlap in the presence of brachiopods and ammonites on Earth.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

An undisturbed rock column contains a fossil of a reptile species in the lowest rock layer, an index fossil that was present 1 million years ago in the middle rock layer, and a fossil of a clam species in the top rock layer. Which statement is most likely correct?

• The index fossil formed when a desert habitat made rock layers in the column.

• There was a marine habitat over one million years ago that formed rock layers in the column.

• There was a desert habitat before a marine habitat that formed the rock layers in the column.

• There was a desert habitat more recently than one million years ago that formed rock layers in the column.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which generalization can be made about the relative age of a fossil found in a sedimentary rock bed?

• The fossil is younger than the rock layer above it.

• The fossil was formed before the rock layer that contains it.

• The fossil and the rock were formed in different environments.

• The fossil was formed around the same time as the rock that contains it.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4