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What is a Method in which a scientist could use fossils to determine the age of the soil in which the fossils were found?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
There are several ways of identifying the age of fossils.
Stratigraphic Method
Literally counting the layers or strata of the rock. If you can determine the age of one layer then on most occasions you can count the number of layers down.
Also connected with stratification is Magnetic Stratigraphy. It is thought that Earths magnetic field reverses every 300,000 years (although it is estimated this last happened 780,000 years ago). When certain sedimentary and volcanic layers are laid down elements in the rock align with Earths magnetic field. As you go down the layers of rock you can measure which way the elements are aligned and thus determine the age.
Radiometric Method
Certain radioactive elements can be used to date fossils. Volcanic rock has no lead when it is laid down. However it does contain Uranium. If you compare the ration between U-235 and Pb-207 accurate dates can be determined. Also important is potassium and argon. Ratio's between K-40 and Ar-40 can determine the age of the fossil.
If the fossil is very young (less than 60,000 years) Carbon 14 can also be used. So called carbon dating.
Index Method
Certain animals and plants were wide spread on earth. We also through other methods have determined accurate dates for these index fossils. If you find an index fossil in the same layer as a fossil you can tell the age.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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Where do you find fossils in wizard101?
Collecting many stone blocks you could find them, you could check the bazaar as well. Also if you're a crafter for a quicker way you could transmute the stone block into fossils.
How did fossils provide evidence for contental drift?
Because, similar fossils could be found on different continents, in rocks of the same age.
Where could you go to find fossils in southern California?
Brea Tar Pits and Natural History Museum in LA.
Which type of rock is where fossils are found?
They are mostly found in Sedimentary Rocks
How are fossils interpreted?
Trace fossils are things like foot prints, burrows, and fossilized feces (coprolites). So quite simply, they're formed by the living-part of an animal's life (rather than its death, being buried as a body fossil). If there's a muddy bottom and an animal crawls across it, it could leave an imprint. Burrows could left behind. These divots and so on can get filled in with hardy sediment that becomes fossilized when the mud is covered over and the sediments become a standard sedimentary rock containing trace fossils.
When might a scientist use a model as a research method?
A scientist might use a model as a research method for a few reasons. This model could tell the scientist how something moves for example.
How could a scientist determine if a behavior is an instinct or is learned?
A scientist can determine if a behavior is instinctual by observing if it is present in all individuals of a species, without the need for prior experience. To determine if a behavior is learned, the scientist can observe if the behavior changes over time based on experience or environmental factors. Controlled experiments and behavioral studies can also help differentiate between instinctual and learned behaviors.
Could scientist determine the age of a fossil?
of course they can by carbon-14 dating.
What method could you use to determine that water is not an element?
Ask it politely.
What could happen if a scientist did not follow the steps to the scientific method?
Every thing could go wrong and someone can get hurt?
How could a scientist determine if offspring are the result of asexual or sexual reproduction?
analyze their genetic material
How did Apollo landings on the moon help scientists determine the age of the moon?
They brought back samples of lunar rocks so the scientist's could determine the age of the moon.
Why might a scientist need to repeat a step in method?
So he/she could look at the data again if something goes wrong.
Why might a scientist need to repeat a step in scientific method?
So he/she could look at the data again if something goes wrong.
How could a scientist use satellites to determine whether a rain forest was becoming smaller over time?
remote sensing i think yea.
What method could you use to determine whether the ruby or the emerald is harder?
Rub them together and see which one gets scratched.
Could the water displacement method be used to determine the volume of a regular shaped object as well as an irregular shaped object?
Yes
