1/2/12 Bell Ringer – page 72 Fossils of the same plants and animals are found on continents that are on different sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Which of these statements does this observation support? A. These animals and plants crossed the Atlantic Ocean. B. The Atlantic Ocean was once a large body of freshwater. C. The continents that are now on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean once formed a single landmass. D. The continents that are now on opposites sides of the Atlantic Ocean have the same kinds of animals and plants today. 1/3/12 Bell Ringer – page 72 Which of these choices is an example of the way a geologist would use relative dating? A. determining the minerals that make up rocks B. placing rock samples in order of oldest to youngest C. classifying rocks as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic D. using radioactive isotopes to determine the exact age of rock samples 1/4/12 Bell Ringer – page 74 The picture shows the rock layers in one part of the Grand Canyon. What is the order of rock layers, from oldest to youngest? A. 1, 2, 3, 4 B. 2, 1, 4, 3 C. 3, 4, 1, 2 D. 4, 3, 2, 1 1/5/12 Bell Ringer – page 74 Igneous rock cuts through three layers of sedimentary rock. Which rock is the youngest? A. the igneous rock B. the top layer of sedimentary rock C. the middle layer of sedimentary rock D. the bottom layer of sedimentary rock 1/9/12 Bell Ringer – page 76 Which property of fossils allows scientists to determine the relative ages of rock layers? A. Fossils form from the remains of living organisms. B. Fossils are usually found only in sedimentary rock. C. Fossils can be analyzed to determine their exact ages. D. Fossils show how earlier organisms evolved into newer organisms. 1/10/12 Bell Ringer – page 76 A scientist wants to make a geologic column of rock layers from different parts of a state. How will the scientist do this? A. The scientist will organize the layers by comparing the fossils and types of rocks. B. The scientist will measure the exact ages of the rocks found in each part of the state. C. The scientists will look at the geologic features in each area and make models of them. D. The scientist cannot make a geologic column from rock layers from different places. 1/11/12 Bell Ringer – page 78 What is the approximate age of Earth? A. 4.5 billion years B. 5.6 billion years C. 6.6 billion years D. 7.6 billion years 1/12/12 Bell Ringer – page 78 The age of objects can be determined by a method known as radiometric dating. What does this kind of dating use to determine the age of objects? A. fossils B. isotopes C. tree rings D. rock layers 1/18/12 Bell Ringer – page 80 During one kind of radioactive decay, potassium-40 breaks down into argon40. Which of the following can be determined about argon-40? A. Argon-40 is the parent isotope. B. Potassium-40 is the daughter isotope. C. It is less stable than potassium-40. D. It is more stable than potassium-40. 1/19/12 Bell Ringer – page 80 The age of a rock sample can be determined by finding the amount of a parent isotope that has changed into a daughter isotope within the sample. Which property of radioactive decay allows the age of the rock to be determined in years? A. releases energy B. releases particles C. happens in all rocks D. happens at a set rate 1/23/12 Bell Ringer – page 82 The table below shows the half-lives of three isotopes. Which statement best explains why these isotopes can be used to date rocks? A. They are all rare isotopes. B. They all decay at set rates. C. They are all large molecules. D. They are all stable over time. 1/24/12 Bell Ringer – page 82 Florida was once part of Gondwanaland, which was a supercontinent that later divided into Africa and South America. What is the name of the process that takes place when a supercontinent breaks apart? A. continental rise B. continental drift C. abyssal plain D. continental divide 1/25/12 Bell Ringer – page 84 Leon wants to determine the age of igneous rock by comparing the amount of potassium40 to the amount of argon-40 present in rock samples. What is the correct term for this method of determining the age of an object? A. isotope dating B. relative dating C. radiometric dating D. radiocarbon dating 1/26/12 Bell Ringer – page 84 Hot, melted rock is injected into several rock layers. Over time, the rock cools. It becomes solid and cuts through the surrounding rock. Which choice explains how the age of this rock relates to the surrounding rock? A. the geologic record B. the law of superposition C. the principle of unconformity D. the law of crosscutting relationships 1/30/12 Bell Ringer – page 86 In 1897, a British scientist proposed that the Earth was between 20 and 400 million years old. Today, scientists have proposed a different age for Earth. How old do they think the Earth is? A. 40 billion years old B. 20 billion years old C. 4.6 billion years old D. 4.6 million years old 1/31/12 Bell Ringer – page 86 Julia has two samples of rocks for which she wants to find the ages. She has a sample of sandstone and a sample of granite. Which statement explains why she can date only the granite? A. The granite is older. B. The granite is igneous. C. The granite is younger. D. The granite is sedimentary. 2/1/12 Bell Ringer – page 88 The figure below shows one type of physical evidence that scientists use to understand how Earth’s climate has changed in the past. What type of physical evidence is shown in this figure? A. cast B. mold C. ice core D. tree rings 2/2/12 Bell Ringer – page 88 Sandra is making a poster of Earth’s major geologic epochs. She wants to include a timeline on her poster. Which date should Sandra use as the beginning of her timeline? A. 700 million years ago B. 3 billion years ago C. 4.5 billion years ago D. 12 billion years ago