Absolute Ages of Rocks
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Printed: October 27, 2014
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C HAPTER
Chapter 1. Absolute Ages of Rocks
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Absolute Ages of Rocks
Lesson 11.3: True or False
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Write true if the statement is true or false if the statement is false.
_____ 1. The number of protons in atoms of the same element may vary.
_____ 2. Almost all carbon atoms are atoms of carbon-14.
_____ 3. When an atom of carbon-14 decays, it loses an electron.
_____ 4. Carbon-14 atoms decay to carbon-13 atoms.
_____ 5. The half-life of a radioactive isotope is constant.
_____ 6. A living thing takes in carbon-14 only while it is alive.
_____ 7. Carbon-14 dating can be used to determine the ages of rocks.
_____ 8. The half-life of carbon-14 is 5730 years.
_____ 9. All fossils can be dated with carbon-14 dating.
_____ 10. To date a rock that is as old as Earth, you could use potassium-40 dating.
Lesson 11.3: Critical Reading
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Read this passage based on the text and answer the questions that follow.
Carbon-14 Dating
The rate of decay of unstable isotopes can be used to estimate the absolute ages of fossils and rocks. This type of
dating is called radiometric dating. The best-known method of radiometric dating is carbon-14 dating.
Here’s how carbon-14 dating works. While an organism is alive, it takes in unstable carbon-14 (along with stable
carbon-12). As the carbon-14 in the organism’s body decays, it is replaced with more carbon-14. After the organism
dies, it stops taking in carbon, including carbon-14. The carbon-14 that is already present in its body continues to
decay. So the organism’s remains contain less and less carbon-14 as time goes on. We can estimate the amount of
carbon-14 that has decayed. We also know how quickly carbon-14 decays. With this information, we can tell how
much time has passed since the organism died.
Carbon-14 dating has some drawbacks. For one thing, carbon-14 has a relatively short half-life at just 5730 years.
It decays quickly compared to some other unstable isotopes. As a result, carbon-14 dating can be used only for
specimens that aren’t very old. Generally, specimens must be less than 50,000 years old for carbon-14 dating to be
used. Another drawback of carbon-14 dating is that it can be used only for the remains of once-living things. It can’t
be used to date rocks.
Questions
1. Compare the levels of carbon-14 in an organism before and after it dies.
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2. How can the amount of carbon-14 left in an organism’s remains be used to determine when it died?
3. What are two drawbacks of carbon-14 dating?
Lesson 11.3: Multiple Choice
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Circle the letter of the correct choice.
1. Absolute ages are based on evidence from
a.
b.
c.
d.
key beds.
stratigraphy.
index fossils.
radiometric dating.
2. Which of the following atomic particles may vary for atoms of a given element?
a.
b.
c.
d.
protons
neutrons
electrons
all of the above
3. How many protons are found in each atom of carbon-14?
a.
b.
c.
d.
14
8
7
6
4. If a carbon atom has 7 neutrons, it is the isotope named
a.
b.
c.
d.
carbon-11.
carbon-12.
carbon-13.
carbon-14.
5. Plants use carbon dioxide for the process of
a.
b.
c.
d.
respiration.
germination.
reproduction.
photosynthesis.
6. New atoms of carbon-14 form in the atmosphere because of
a.
b.
c.
d.
pollution.
cosmic rays.
global warming.
burning of fossil fuels.
7. If you start with 1.00 g of carbon-14, the amount left after two half-lives will be
a.
b.
c.
d.
2
0 g.
0.25 g.
0.50 g.
0.75 g.
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Chapter 1. Absolute Ages of Rocks
Lesson 11.3: Matching
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Match each definition with the correct term.
Definitions
_____ 1. using radioactive decay to estimate the age of a fossil or rock
_____ 2. radioactive element with a relatively long half-life
_____ 3. rate of decay of a radioactive element
_____ 4. atom of an element with a different number of neutrons
_____ 5. stable isotope of carbon
_____ 6. radioactive element with a relatively short half-life
_____ 7. breakdown of unstable elements into stable elements
Terms
a. isotope
b. carbon-14
c. carbon-12
d. uranium-238
e. radioactive decay
f. half-life
g. radiometric dating
Lesson 11.3: Fill in the Blank
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Fill in the blank with the appropriate term.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The age of a rock or fossil in years is its __________ age.
Two different isotopes of the same element differ in their number of __________.
Isotopes are named for their number of neutrons plus __________.
Atoms of carbon-14 form in the atmosphere from atoms of __________.
Carbon-14 enters food chains when plants take in __________.
All atoms of a given element contain the same number of __________.
The time it takes for half of a given amount of an unstable isotope to break down is its __________.
Lesson 11.3: Critical Writing
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Thoroughly answer the question below. Use appropriate academic vocabulary and clear and complete sentences.
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Radioactive elements have a constant half-life. Why is this necessary for radiometric dating to work?
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