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Directions: Answer the following questions as you navigate through Understanding Geologic Time.
1. How is relative age different from the actual date of an event?
Relative age only tells us the order in which events occurred, from the earliest to the most recent. Knowing the actual date of an event allows us to say exactly how old something is or how long ago it actually took place.
2. What can radiometric dating tell us about the age of rocks that the Law of Superposition cannot?
Radiometric dating tells us how old the rocks are whereas the Law of Superposition can only be used to determine the relative age
3. How can you find the age of a layer of rock that is surrounded by layers of volcanic ash?
Once you have found a radiometric age for the surrounding layers of volcanic ash, you can safely state that the age of the intervening layer is intermediate between those dates.
4. What do the periods in the geologic time scale represent?
Each period represents a change in the plants and animals at that time
5. What do the terms Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic mean?
Paleozoic means ancient life, Mesozoic means middle life and Cenozoic refers to the time of recent life.