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Geologic Time - Webquest 2020

This document provides information about geological principles and absolute dating. It contains questions about geologic timescales, significant events in Earth's history, relative dating techniques, fossil formation, and radioactive dating methods. Key points covered include: 1) The age of the Earth is approximately 4.54 billion years according to the book analogy provided. 2) Relative dating records the layers of rock and fossils using principles like superposition. Radiometric dating uses radioactive decay to determine absolute ages. 3) Paleontologists study fossils to understand the evolution of life and correlate rock layers to the geological timescale. Radiometric dating and half-lives are important tools that allow scientists to determine the precise ages of fossils and

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Patrick Sazama
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363 views

Geologic Time - Webquest 2020

This document provides information about geological principles and absolute dating. It contains questions about geologic timescales, significant events in Earth's history, relative dating techniques, fossil formation, and radioactive dating methods. Key points covered include: 1) The age of the Earth is approximately 4.54 billion years according to the book analogy provided. 2) Relative dating records the layers of rock and fossils using principles like superposition. Radiometric dating uses radioactive decay to determine absolute ages. 3) Paleontologists study fossils to understand the evolution of life and correlate rock layers to the geological timescale. Radiometric dating and half-lives are important tools that allow scientists to determine the precise ages of fossils and

Uploaded by

Patrick Sazama
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Name Date Per

Geological Principles and Absolute Dating

Geologic Time WebQuest

If the age of the Earth were to be scaled to the length of the Golden Gate Bridge (about 6000 ft), then 600 years of
civilization would be equivalent to 0.10 in (about the thickness of a car key). A lot has occurred during the history of Earth.
During this webquest you will explore geologic time, the era’s, and some of the significant events that have occurred in
Earth’s history up to the present day.

Part 1 Geologic Time:


Go to:http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/tours/geotime/gtpage1.html

Read and continue to click next until you reach the book analogy for question number 1.
1. Using the book analogy provided, what is the approximate age of the Earth? Write the answer
in standard and scientific notation.

Continue reading until you see the bookmarks appear on the left, then proceed to view the bookmarks and click “done”
after reading the chapter.
2. Click on the bookmarks provided in section 2 and record the events and how many years ago
they occurred.
a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

Continue on through the sections completing the timelines and the required tasks.

3. The following questions are based on sections 6 through 10 of the tutorial.


a. How is relative time recorded?

b. Where was the oldest layer of rock found? The youngest rock layer?

c. Describe the Law of Superposition.

d. Which of the fossils was the oldest?

e. How is radiometric dating helpful in determining the history of Earth?

f. How is the geological time scale broken up?

Continue reading through section 9 and then complete the 5 multiple choice questions in section 10.
4. What was the correct answer to question 5 on the quiz?

5. How many questions did you get correct on the quiz?


Part II Absolute vs Relative Dating:
http://www.americangeosciences.org/education/k5geosource/content/fossils/under-what-conditions-do-fossils-for
m

1. Why can’t the bottom of the ocean support much life? How would fossils end up here?

2. Why is fossilization on land uncommon?

3. Where on land would be ideal for fossils to form?

4. Why don’t many shelled animals become fossils?

5. Which kind of life is extremely rare to find fossils of? Why?

6. What must happen for a soft-bodied animal or plant to create a fossil?

7. Why are paleontologists “sure that the fossil record is biased”? Explain in detail.

https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/z2fqcj6/revision/2
8. What are fossils?

9. Describe the three ways fossils can form.


10. Where are simple fossils usually found? Complex?

11. Why do scientists study fossils?

Calculating Half- Life Website


14. What is a half life?

15. Name and describe the half life of the 4 elements given.

16. How do paleontologists use half life?

17. Describe the steps of dating a fossil using half life.

18. Using the same method and Carbon 14, how old would a fossil be if it was found to contain 1/4th of its original
radioactive material?

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