That's Radioactive
Which radioactive isotope has a half life of 5700 years?
a. carbon-14
b. potassium-40
c.uranium-238
d.rubidium-87
a. carbon-14
Elmira, New York has bedrock associated with which geologic time period?
(1) Silurian period
(2) Late Triassic period
(3) Devonian period
(4) Cambrian period
(3) Devonian period
The San Andreas Fault is an example of a
(1) transform plate boundary
(2) divergent plate boundary
(3) convergent plate boundary
(4) complex plate boundary
(1) transform plate boundary
Scoria is a type of rock that forms most directly from the process of
(1) solidification
(2) cementation
(3) erosion
(4) metamorphism
(1) solidification
The red shift in light from stars located in very distant galaxies suggests that these stars are:
(1) decreasing in temperature
(2) increasing in temperature
(3) moving toward the Milky way
(4) moving away from the Milky Way
4. moving away from the Milky Way
Which radioactive isotope takes the greatest amount of time to disintegrate?
(1) potassium-40
(2) uranium-235
(3) uranium-238
(4) rubidium-87
(4) rubidium-87
An observer in Watertown, New York, would see the star Polaris at an altitude of approximately
(1) 44°
(2) 45°
(3) 75°
(4) 76°
(1) 44°
Which mantle hot spot is correctly matched to its overlying tectonic plate?
(1) Tasman Hot Spot–Pacific Plate
(2) Canary Island Hot Spot–Eurasian Plate
(3) St. Helena Hot Spot–South American Plate
(4) Yellowstone Hot Spot–North American Plate
(4) Yellowstone Hot Spot–North American Plate
The mineral calcite will scratch
(1) talc
(2) olivine
(3) quartz
(4) garnet
(1) talc
Scientists who proposed the Big Bang Theory were attempting to explain
(1) the origin of the universe
(2) why stars have different luminosities
(3) the formation of our solar system
(4) how Earth’s atmosphere evolved
(1) the origin of the universe
Identify the stable disintegration product that is produced when carbon-14 decays.
a. Calcium-40
b. Uranium-238
c. Carbon-15
d. Nitrogen-14
d. Nitrogen-14
Long Island, New York has bedrock estimated to be how old?
(1) 542 million years old
(2) 488 million years old
(3) 75 million years old
(4) 200 million years old
(3) 75 million years old
Identify the type of tectonic plate boundary found at a mid-ocean ridge.
a. transform boundary
b. divergent boundary
c. convergent boundary
d. unknown boundary
b. divergent boundary
What is the texture of an igneous rock formed from magma that cooled slowly deep underground?
(1) nonvesicular and coarse
(2) nonvesicular and glassy
(3) vesicular and fine
(4) vesicular and very coarse
(1) nonvesicular and coarse
Which conclusion can be drawn from the pattern of fossils found in Earth’s rock record?
(1) Humans have existed for a longer period of time than dinosaurs.
(2) Complex land organisms have been replaced by simpler marine forms.
(3) Many species have existed in the past, and most have become extinct.
(4) Few life forms existed before the late Cretaceous period.
(3) Many species have existed in the past, and most have become extinct.
Identify the radioactive isotope that has a half-life that is approximately the same as the estimated age of Earth, by using the Radioactive Decay Data table in the Earth Science Reference Tables.
a. Carbon-14
b. Potassium-40
c. Uranium-238
d. Rubidium-87
c. Uranium-238
Which two New York State locations have surface bedrock of similar ages?
(1) Mt. Marcy and Slide Mt.
(2) Buffalo and Rochester
(3) Old Forge and Niagara Falls
(4) Watertown and Albany
(4) Watertown and Albany
On what plate boundary is the Tasman Hot Spot?
(1) Antarctic Plate
(2) Indian-Australian Plate
(3) South American Plate
(4) African Plate
(2) Indian-Australian Plate
The element silicon (Si) is used in the production of cell phones. Which mineral could be a possible source of this silicon?
(1) calcite
(2) galena
(3) halite
(4) quartz
(4) quartz
Approximately how many million years ago (mya) was the amount of Earth’s total landmass located south of the equator the greatest?
(1) 119 mya
(2) 232 mya
(3) 359 mya
(4) 458 mya
(4) 458 mya
The original number of carbon-14 atoms is 20 atoms.
Determine the number of carbon-14 atoms that would most likely remain at the end of the second half-life.
a. 10 atoms
b. 20 atoms
c. 40 atoms
d. 5 atoms
d. 5 atoms
On June 21, an observer in New York State will see the Sun set
(1) north of due east
(2) north of due west
(3) south of due east
(4) south of due west
(2) north of due west
The Iceland Hot Spot is located on what type of plate boundary?
(1) convergent
(2) divergent
(3) transform
(4) unknown
(2) divergent
Which medium-grain-sized metamorphic rock is composed mostly of the same mineral as the sedimentary rock limestone?
(1) gneiss
(2) marble
(3) quartzite
(4) schist
(2) marble
Which important geologic event in New York State occurred just after the Grenville Mountains were starting to erode?
(1) Pangaea began to break up.
(2) The Iapetus Ocean began to open.
(3) The Catskill Delta formed.
(4) The Taconic Mountains were eroded.
(2) The Iapetus Ocean began to open.