Question 1

The Mesozoic era is known as the age of the

Accepted Answer

A) dinosaur. 
B) reptile. 
C) fishes. 
D) synapsids. 
A) dinosaur. 
B) reptile. 
C) fishes. 
D) synapsids.

Question 2

Life forms in the Precambrian include

Accepted Answer

A) trilobites,brachiopods and stromatolites. 
B) cyanobacteria and trilobites. 
C) the agnatha and the coelacanths. 
D) stromatolites and certain primitive blue-green algae. 
A) trilobites,brachiopods and stromatolites. 
B) cyanobacteria and trilobites. 
C) the agnatha and the coelacanths. 
D) stromatolites and certain primitive blue-green algae.

Question 3

Going from oldest to youngest,the three periods of the Mesozoic are

Accepted Answer

A) Triassic,Jurassic,and Permian. 
B) Jurassic,Triassic,and Cretaceous. 
C) Triassic,Jurassic,and Cretaceous. 
D) Cretaceous,Permian,and Jurassic. 
A) Triassic,Jurassic,and Permian. 
B) Jurassic,Triassic,and Cretaceous. 
C) Triassic,Jurassic,and Cretaceous. 
D) Cretaceous,Permian,and Jurassic.

Question 4

Uplift of the Rocky Mountains was a result of

Accepted Answer

A) compressional forces. 
B) tensional forces. 
C) crustal extension. 
D) none of these 
A) compressional forces. 
B) tensional forces. 
C) crustal extension. 
D) none of these

Question 5

In radioactive decay,when the parent material decays to one-quarter of its original amount,the time is

Accepted Answer

A) one half-life. 
B) two half-lives. 
C) three half-lives. 
D) four half-lives. 
A) one half-life. 
B) two half-lives. 
C) three half-lives. 
D) four half-lives.

Question 6

The extensive glaciation of the Pleistocene caused sea level to

Accepted Answer

A) drop because a great deal of water was bound in glaciers. 
B) rise because a great deal of water was tied up in glaciers. 
C) drop because of increased ablation and reduced accumulation. 
D) rise because of increased accumulation and reduced ablation. 
A) drop because a great deal of water was bound in glaciers. 
B) rise because a great deal of water was tied up in glaciers. 
C) drop because of increased ablation and reduced accumulation. 
D) rise because of increased accumulation and reduced ablation.

Question 7

What was the one most important event in the Precambrian?

Accepted Answer

The accumulation of free oxyge

Question 8

During the Pleistocene ice age

Accepted Answer

A) there was one large episode of glacial advance. 
B) there were several episodes of glacial advance and retreat. 
C) Earth's entire surface was covered with ice. 
D) Earth's oceans were completely frozen. 
A) there was one large episode of glacial advance. 
B) there were several episodes of glacial advance and retreat. 
C) Earth's entire surface was covered with ice. 
D) Earth's oceans were completely frozen.

Question 9

The first time period for which abundant fossils have been found is the

Accepted Answer

A) Precambrian. 
B) Silurian. 
C) Pliocene. 
D) Cambrian. 
A) Precambrian. 
B) Silurian. 
C) Pliocene. 
D) Cambrian.

Question 10

The time required for one-half of a radioactive material to decay is called the

Accepted Answer

A) absolute age. 
B) half-life. 
C) date age. 
D) true-life. 
A) absolute age. 
B) half-life. 
C) date age. 
D) true-life.

Question 11

The Permian extinction predominantly affected

Accepted Answer

A) reptiles. 
B) marine life. 
C) insects life. 
D) terrestrial life. 
A) reptiles. 
B) marine life. 
C) insects life. 
D) terrestrial life.

Question 12

During the Mesozoic,the supercontinent of Laurasia fragmented into the continents of

Accepted Answer

A) North America,Europe,and Asia. 
B) South America,Africa,Antarctica/Australia,and India/Madagascar. 
C) North America,Europe,and Africa. 
D) South America,Australia,and Antarctica. 
A) North America,Europe,and Asia. 
B) South America,Africa,Antarctica/Australia,and India/Madagascar. 
C) North America,Europe,and Africa. 
D) South America,Australia,and Antarctica.

Question 13

The iridium layer at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary is attributed to

Accepted Answer

A) meteorite bombardment. 
B) massive volcanic eruptions. 
C) massive earthquakes and shock waves. 
D) extinction of the dinosaurs. 
A) meteorite bombardment. 
B) massive volcanic eruptions. 
C) massive earthquakes and shock waves. 
D) extinction of the dinosaurs.

Question 14

Radiometric dating assumes that,once a mineral has crystallized,any daughter product results only from the decay of the original unstable parent.Some complications are

Accepted Answer

A) variations in temperature. 
B) failure to take samples too close together. 
C) "time clock resetting" due to metamorphism,and product leakage that yields false age estimation. 
D) a poorly maintained teleometer. 
A) variations in temperature. 
B) failure to take samples too close together. 
C) "time clock resetting" due to metamorphism,and product leakage that yields false age estimation. 
D) a poorly maintained teleometer.

Question 15

During the Mesozoic,the supercontinent of Gondwanaland fragmented into the continents of

Accepted Answer

A) North America,Europe,and Asia. 
B) South America,Africa,Antarctica/Australia,and India/Madagascar. 
C) North America,Europe,and Africa. 
D) South America,Africa,and Europe/Asia. 
A) North America,Europe,and Asia. 
B) South America,Africa,Antarctica/Australia,and India/Madagascar. 
C) North America,Europe,and Africa. 
D) South America,Africa,and Europe/Asia.

Question 16

Radiometric dating is based on

Accepted Answer

A) decay of uranium-238 to lead-206. 
B) sequence of rocks and the relative position of one layer to another. 
C) proportions of radioactive isotopes and their decay products. 
D) the half-life of radioactive atoms. 
A) decay of uranium-238 to lead-206. 
B) sequence of rocks and the relative position of one layer to another. 
C) proportions of radioactive isotopes and their decay products. 
D) the half-life of radioactive atoms.

Question 17

Life forms in the Precambrian included

Accepted Answer

A) trilobites. 
B) brachiopods. 
C) coelacanths. 
D) cyanobacteria. 
A) trilobites. 
B) brachiopods. 
C) coelacanths. 
D) cyanobacteria.

Question 18

Granitic pebbles with a radiometric age of 300 million years are embedded in a sedimentary rock.A dike,dated at 200 million years,intrudes into the sedimentary rock.With all this information we can estimate the age of the sedimentary rock to be

Accepted Answer

A) older than 300 million years. 
B) younger than 200 million years. 
C) between 200 and 300 million years old. 
D) precisely 300 million years old. 
A) older than 300 million years. 
B) younger than 200 million years. 
C) between 200 and 300 million years old. 
D) precisely 300 million years old.

Question 19

What is the most widely accepted hypothesis for the dinosaur extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period?

Accepted Answer

The Alvarez hypothesis that Earth was hi

Question 20

The oldest known fossils are

Accepted Answer

A) trilobites and brachiopods. 
B) algae and bacteria. 
C) fungi and algae. 
D) worms and jellyfish. 
A) trilobites and brachiopods. 
B) algae and bacteria. 
C) fungi and algae. 
D) worms and jellyfish.

Exam 23: Geologic Time - Reading the Rock Record

The Mesozoic era is known as the age of the

Life forms in the Precambrian include

Going from oldest to youngest,the three periods of the Mesozoic are

Uplift of the Rocky Mountains was a result of

In radioactive decay,when the parent material decays to one-quarter of its original amount,the time is

The extensive glaciation of the Pleistocene caused sea level to

What was the one most important event in the Precambrian?

During the Pleistocene ice age

The first time period for which abundant fossils have been found is the

The time required for one-half of a radioactive material to decay is called the

The Permian extinction predominantly affected

During the Mesozoic,the supercontinent of Laurasia fragmented into the continents of

The iridium layer at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary is attributed to

Radiometric dating assumes that,once a mineral has crystallized,any daughter product results only from the decay of the original unstable parent.Some complications are

During the Mesozoic,the supercontinent of Gondwanaland fragmented into the continents of

Radiometric dating is based on

Life forms in the Precambrian included

Granitic pebbles with a radiometric age of 300 million years are embedded in a sedimentary rock.A dike,dated at 200 million years,intrudes into the sedimentary rock.With all this information we can estimate the age of the sedimentary rock to be

What is the most widely accepted hypothesis for the dinosaur extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period?

The oldest known fossils are

Patterns of Motion and Equilibrium

Newtons Laws of Motion

Momentum and Energy

Gravity, Projectiles, and Satellites

Fluid Mechanics

Thermal Energy and Thermodynamics

Heat Transfer and Change of Phase

Static and Current Electricity

Magnetism and Electromagnetic Induction

Waves and Sound

Light

Atoms and the Periodic Table

The Atomic Nucleus and Radioactivity

Elements of Chemistry

How Atoms Bond and Molecules Attract

Mixtures

How Chemicals React

Two Classes of Chemical Reactions

Organic Compounds

Rocks and Minerals

Plate Tectonics and Earths Interior

Shaping Earths Surface

The Oceans, Atmosphere, and Climatic Effects

Driving Forces of Weather

The Solar System

Stars and Galaxies

The Structure of Space and Time

Prologue: The Nature of Science

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