Name ______________________________ Class ___________________ Date __________________
p. 128 - 133
Chapter 5, section 1 Review
Geologic History
USING KEY TERMS
1. Use uniformitarianism, catastrophism, and paleontology in separate
sentences.
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UNDERSTANDING KEY IDEAS
2. Compare uniformitarianism with catastrophism.
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3. Describe how the science of geology has changed.
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_____ 4. . Which of the following best describes relative dating?
A. Relative dating is used to determine the exact age of fossils.
B. In relative dating, the deepest rock layers are the youngest layers.
C. In relative dating, the deepest rock layers are the oldest layers.
D. Relative dating uses the half-lives of rock layers to determine the
age of fossils.
5. Explain how scientists construct the geologic column.
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6. Explain the process by which scientists use half-lives to determine the age of
an object.
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7. Explain the role of paleontology in the study of Earth’s history.
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Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston; a Division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Holt Science and Technology
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The Fossil Record
Name ______________________________ Class ___________________ Date __________________
Section Review continued
8. Describe the work of three types of paleontologists.
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MATH SKILLS
_____ 9. Rubidium-87 is an unstable atom that scientists use to date rocks that
are more than 10 million years old. The half-life of rubidium-87 is
approximately 49 billion years. How much rubidium-87 would remain
in an object that is 147 billion years old?
CRITICAL THINKING
10. Analyzing Ideas Why is uniformitarianism considered to be the foundation of
modern geology?
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11. Applying Concepts Give an example of a type of recent catastrophe.
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Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston; a Division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Holt Science and Technology
33
The Fossil Record