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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
National Capital Region
DIVISION OF CITY SCHOOLS – MANILA
Manila Education Center Arroceros Forest Park
Antonio J. Villegas St. Ermita, Manila

EARTH AND
LIFE SCIENCE
Dating Rocks:
Looking to the Earth’s Past
Quarter 1 Week 6 Module 13

Learning Competency: Explain how relative and

absolute dating were used to determine the subdivisions
of geologic time (S11ES-IIi-7)

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HOW TO USE THIS MODULE

Before starting the module, I want you to set aside other tasks that will disturb you
while enjoying the lessons. Read the simple instructions below to successfully enjoy
the objectives of this kit. Have fun!

1. Follow carefully all the contents and instructions indicated in every page of
this module.
2. Write on your notebook the concepts about the lessons. Writing enhances
learning, that is important to develop and keep in mind.
3. Perform all the provided activities in the module.
4. Let your facilitator/guardian assess your answers using the answer key
card.
5. Analyze conceptually the posttest and apply what you have learned.
6. Enjoy studying!

PARTS OF THE MODULE

• Expectations - These are what you will be able to know after completing the
lessons in the module.
• Pre-test - This will measure your prior knowledge and the concepts to be
mastered throughout the lesson.
• Looking Back to your Lesson - This section will measure what learnings and
skills did you understand from the previous lesson.
• Brief Introduction - This section will give you an overview of the lesson.
• Activities - This is a set of activities you will perform with a partner.
• Remember - This section summarizes the concepts and applications of the
lessons.
• Check your Understanding - It will verify how you learned from the lesson.
• Post-test - This will measure how much you have learned from the entire
module.

Lesson
What are the Methods Used in
13 Determining the Age of Rocks?

EXPECTATIONS
You will have to explain how relative and absolute dating were used to
determine the subdivisions of geologic time

Specifically, this module will help you to:

• observe how rocks are arranged, and
• show understanding in performing dating methods.

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Let us start your journey in learning more about relativeness of relative and absolute
dating to determine the subdivisions of geologic time. I am sure you are ready and
excited to answer the Pretest. Smile and cheer up!
PRETEST
Directions: Choose the letter of the correct answer. If the answer is not found on the
choices, write letter E and identify the correct answer.

1. Scientist use radioactive decay to measure _________.

A. half – lives C. relative time
B. time of day D. absolute time
2. How can a geologist tell that dinosaur fossil is younger than a trilobite fossil
and more than 60 million years old?
A. By dating the age of the fossil by using relative dating
B. By dating the age of the fossil by using absolute dating
C. Scientist are unable to determine the age of the dinosaur
D. By dating the age of the fossil by using both absolute and relative dating
3. Scientist use various methods to determine the age of objects found within the
Earth. Which of the following is the most accurate?
A. Relative dating C. Both a and b
B. Absolute dating D. Neither a nor b
4. The law of superposition states that in undistributed horizontal sedimentary
rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the younger layers at the
top. During which type of dating would scientist use the Law of Superposition?
A. Relative dating C. Both a and b
B. Absolute dating D. Neither a nor b
5. The length of time it takes for half-life of a radioactive element isotope to decay
into a stable decay into a stable element is known as _______.
A. Index fossils C. Law of Superposition
B. Radioactive decay D. all of the above
6. It is an example of a parent isotope
A. lead C. uranium
B. argon D. strontium
7. What is method used to date rocks older than 100 000 years?
A. carbon-14 method
B. uranium-lead method
C. potassium-argon method
D. rubidium-strontium method
8. Placing geologic events in sequential order as determined b their positions in
the rock record is called: ______
A. correlation C. absolute dating
B. relative dating D. uniformitarianism
9. Radioactive dates are based on:
A. Measuring the amount of unstable isotopes present
B. Measuring the number of atoms that decay per unit time
C. The ratio of unstable parent material and stable daughter product
present in a sample
D. None of these choices
10. Radioactive dates are effective and useful (accurate) for the past:
A. 5 000 years C. 70, 000 years
B. 50, 000 years D. none of these choices

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Great! You finished answering the questions. You may request your facilitator to check
your work. Congratulations and keep on learning!

LOOKING BACK TO YOUR LESSON

The previous module focuses on the relative dating. Before you proceed on this
module, let’s first refresh your learnings from the previous module.
Directions: Examine the following image of rock layers below and answer the
following questions about relative time.

1. Which sequence of letters best represents the order in which the letters
represents the older in which the layers were formed (from oldest to youngest)?
A.) C, D, B, A C.) B, C, D, A
B.) C, B, D, A D.) A, B, D, C
2. An unconformity is present between layers
A.) C and D C.) C and B
B.) B and D D.) A and B
Essential Questions
3. How do layers of rocks explain the history of Earth?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4. How is absolute dating used to determine the age of stratified rocks?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
5. What significant events happened throughout Earth’s history?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

BRIEF INTRODUCTION

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The principle of uniformitarianism
is just viable today like it is Hutton’s day.
Realizing it is stronger than ever before
that the present give us clues from the
past and the physical, chemical, and
biological laws that governs geologic
processes remains unchanged through
time. Though, we must also understand
that the doctrine should not be taken to
literally. To say that the geologic
processes which happens in the past is
not the same in this occurring day.
Furthermore, some important geologic processes are not totally observable, but there
is some evidence that happen is highly established. For example, the earth is
experiencing impacts of large meteorites even though there are no human to witness
it. Such events like this changed the Earth’s crust, modified its climate, and strongly
influenced the life in the planet.
It is important to recall that although there are many features of the physical
landscape it may seem to be unchanged over the decades as we observe them, they
are nevertheless changing—but on the geologic time scales of hundreds, thousands,
or even in millions of years,
Interpreting the Earth History is a primary goal of a scientist which in the field
of geology. Like a modern-day investigator, a geologist must interpret the clues. By
studying the rocks, the geologist found in the preserved rocks some evidences and
its features which is contain from the inside. Geologist can unravel the complexities
of the past.
Do you have it takes to be geologist? Get your safety materials because we’ll be
digging a lot of rocks to be able to see the Earth’s past on this module!

Note: You can perform the following activities through collaborating with a partner. You can first
answer the activities individually then just communicate your results after.

ACTIVITIES
Activity 13:
Just Shake! Shake! Shake! (Radioactive dating model)
Materials
• 100 pieces one-peso coin
• Carboard box with lid
• Pencil

A rock or fossil may be dated

by measuring the relative amount
of a stable element with its
radioactive parent element. As the
rock ages, the amount of
radioactive element becomes less
and the amount of stable element
increases. Examine the graph to
see the decrease of a radioactive
element over time.

Procedures:
1. Place 100 pieces of one-peso coins face up in the cardboard box and cover the
carboard box with the lid.

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2. Shake the coins in the box for 10 seconds.
3. Take off the lid and take out all coins that are facing down.
4. As you take the coins out, do not put the coins back in the carboard box
5. In the table, record the number of coins facing down that you take out from
the box.
6. Repeat steps 3 to 5. Do it until there is no coins facing up upon shaking.
7. Next, construct a graph your recorded data. On the y-axis plot the number of
coins facing up. And on the x-axis, put the number of trials or times you shake
the box.

Data and Results

Table 1
Trials 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Number of coins remains 100
Number of coins removed 0

Note: The number of trials in the table is 8. If all the coins are taken out before the 8th
trial its ok. But if there are still coins facing up after the 8th trial, add another table and
record it on the table. Same as to the graph add another grid if the number of trials is
more than.

Questions
1. What happens to the number of coins remaining after each trial?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. How does the shaking of the box represent the energy given off by the
radioactive elements when they become stable?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. How this model is similar to the decay of a radioactive element?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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4. How this model is not similar to the decay of a radioactive element?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
5. Why do you think radioactive decay is considered more accurate than other
dating methods calculated from the fossil beds?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
6. Why there are different radioactive elements used to date rocks and fossils?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
REMEMBER
Dating techniques are used by scientist in the field of geology to determine the age
of rocks. The geologist establish the age of rocks in two ways: relative and absolute
dating.
• Relative Dating is used to arrange geological events and the rocks they leave
behind in a sequence. It is based on the Principle of Superposition which the
scientist evaluates the of rocks in order of geological events. Rock successions
are sequence of rocks that are ordered in which they are deposited.
- Relative age cannot specify the actual age, whether the rock is younger or
older than another. The relative age is determined by its position within
the strata.
- Relative dating requires an extensive knowledge of stratigraphic
succession, this a term on the way of the rock strata is build up and change
by geologic processes. Sy studying it paleontologist and geologist are able
to interpret the formation of the strata and learn the environment long time
ago. If the sediment layer is thick, there is a stable climate. When the layers
appear in the strata, the is a change happens.
• Absolute dating is a method of measuring the absolute age of an event or
object. In determining the absolute age of rocks and fossils, scientist analyzes
isotopes of radioactive elements. Isotopes are atom of a same element which
have the similar number of protons but they have different numbers of
neutrons. Most of the isotopes are stable that they are in their original form.
The other isotopes are unstable, they need to break down into stable isotopes
or other elements. And so, they are called radioactive.
 Radioactive decay – it is occurring on a steady state, we can use the
relative amounts of unstable and stable isotopes present to determine the
age of an object. It breaks down unstable radioactive isotopes into stable
isotopes.

- Parent isotope – it is the unstable radioactive isotopes

- Daughter isotopes – it is the stable isotope produced by the radioactive
decay of the parent isotope
- The rate of radioactive decay is constant, that is why comparing the
amount of parent material with the amount of the daughter material is

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important in dating rocks. In other words, the more daughter material
there is, the older the rock.
Half-life common isotopes
Parent isotope Half-life Stable daughter
Uranium-235 704 million years Lead-207
Potassium-40 1.25 billion years Argon-40
Uranium-238 4.5 billion years Lead-206
Thorium-232 14.0 billion years Lead-208
Lutetium-176 35.9 billion years Hafnim-176
Rubidium-87 48.8 billion years Strontium-87
Samarium-147 106 billion years Neodymium-143
 Half-life - Half-life is the time needed for half of a sample of a radioactive
element to undergo radioactive decay and form daughter isotopes. After
one half-life has passed, one-half of the parent isotope has changed into
daughter isotopes.

 Radioactive dating - Scientists study the amounts of parent and

daughter isotopes to date samples. They find the absolute age of a sample
by determining the relative percentages of a radioactive parent isotope and
a stable daughter isotope is called radiometric dating.
 What is the Best Rock for Radiometric Dating?
1. Igneous rocks are the best types of rock samples to use for
radiometric dating.
2. When igneous rocks form, minerals in them often contain only a
parent isotope and none of the daughter isotope.
3. This makes the isotope percentages easier to interpret and helps
dating to be more accurate.
 What are Some Radiometric Dating Methods?
1. Potassium-Argon Dating - used to date igneous volcanic rocks
that are 100,000 years to billions of years old.
2. Uranium-Lead Dating - based on measuring the amount of the
lead-206 daughter isotope in a sample. Uranium-lead dating can
be used to determine the age of igneous rocks that are between
100 million years and a few billion years old.
3. Rubidium-Strontium dating - a radiometric dating technique
use by scientist to determine the age of rocks and minerals from
the age of rocks and minerals from the quantities they contain of
specific isotopes of rubidium (87Rb) and strontium (87Sr ,86Sr). in
this method it used rocks which older than 10 million years.

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4. Radiocarbon Dating - a method used for dating wood, bones,
shells, and other organic remains.
- All living things have a constant ratio of radioactive carbon-
14 to carbon-12. Once a plant or an animal dies, no more
carbon is taken in. The ratio between the isotope’s changes
because carbon-14 undergoes radioactive decay.
- The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,730 years. The number of
half-lives of carbon-14 that have passed gives the absolute
age. Radiocarbon dating can be used to date organic matter
only. This method is used to date things that lived in the
last 45,000 years.

CHECKING YOUR UNDERSTANDING

All About Absolute and Relative Dating
Let’s further check your skills as a geologist through answering the following:
A. Tell whether the statement is Absolute or Relative

______ 1. The red car cost Php. 4, 508, 696. 56 and the silver cost Php.
1, 001, 932.57.
______ 2. The red car cost more than the silver car.
______ 3. The red car is 4 times more expensive than the silver car.
______ 4. The silver car is 2 years old.
______ 5. The red car is newer than the silver car.
B. Problem solving
Use the figure below to answer the
following question. The graph below
represents the radioactive decay of an
isotope. If the half-life of thorium-230
is 75, 000 years, how old is the fossil
that contains only 1/16th of its original
thorium-230? Show your solution.

C. Answer the following questions

1. Describe how is radioactive decay
related to radiometric dating?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Calculate. A parent has a half-life of 1 million years. If a rock contained
20mg of the parent isotope when it is formed, how much parent isotope
would be left after million years? Show your calculations.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. What are the 2 radioactive isotopes that are useful for dating rocks that
are older than 10 million years?

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________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. A geologist uses relative dating methods to guess that a rock is between 1
million to 5 million years old. What is one radioactive isotope the geologist
can use to learn the exact age of the rocks? Explain your answer.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. Why can’t geologist use the carbon-14 method to date igneous rocks. Why
can’t they use the carbon-14 to date dinosaur bones?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
POSTTEST
Directions: Choose the letter of the correct answer. If the answer is not found on the
choices, write letter E and identify the correct answer.
1. It is an example of a parent isotope
A. Lead C. uranium
B. argon D. strontium
2. What is method used to date rocks older than 100 000 years?
A. carbon-14 method
B. uranium-lead method
C. potassium-argon method
D. rubidium-strontium method
3. Scientist use radioactive decay to measure _________.
A. half – lives C. relative time
B. time of day D. absolute time
4. How can a geologist tell that dinosaur fossil is younger than a trilobite fossil
and more than 60 million years old?
A. By dating the age of the fossil by using relative dating
B. By dating the age of the fossil by using absolute dating
C. Scientist are unable to determine the age of the dinosaur
D. By dating the age of the fossil by using both absolute and relative dating
5. Scientist use various methods to determine the age of objects found within the
Earth. Which of the following is the most accurate?
A. Relative dating C. Both a and b
B. Absolute dating D. Neither a nor b
6. The law of superposition states that in undistributed horizontal sedimentary
rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the younger layers at the
top. During which type of dating would scientist use the Law of Superposition?
A. Relative dating C. Both a and b
B. Absolute dating D. Neither a nor b
7. The length of time it takes for half-life of a radioactive element isotope to decay
into a stable decay into a stable element is known as _______.
A. Index fossils C. Law of Superposition
B. Radioactive decay D. all of the above
8. Placing geologic events in sequential order as determined b their positions in
the rock record is called: ______
A. correlation C. absolute dating

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B. relative dating D. uniformitarianism
9. Radioactive dates are effective and useful (accurate) for the past:
A. 5 000 years C. 70, 000 years
B. 50, 000 years D. none of these choices
10. Radioactive dates are based on:
A. Measuring the amount of unstable isotopes present
B. Measuring the number of atoms that decay per unit time
C. The ratio of unstable parent material and stable daughter product
present in a sample
D. None of these choices

REFLECTIVE LEARNING SHEET

Name: ____________________________________________ Grade & Section: ____________

Dating Rocks: Looking to the Earth’s Past

REFLECTIVE LEARNING SHEET No. 13
Directions: Write a reflective learning about what you have learned about the
concepts about how relative and absolute dating were used to determine
the subdivisions of geologic time by answering the questions inside the
box. You may express your answers in a more critical and creative
presentation of your great learning. Have fun and enjoy!

The lesson on relative

•What learnings have I •What examples can I
and absolute dating
found from this lesson? explore and think more?
guides me to ponder on...

•What learnings can I •What good character

•What is my conclusion
share with my family have I developed from
on the lesson?
and peers? this lesson?

REFERENCES
McConnel D., Steer D., Knight C., Owens K & Park L. (2010). The Good Earth introduction to Earth
Science . New York, United States of America: McGraw-Hill international Edition.

Bayo-ang, R., Coronacion, M., Jorda, A., & Restubog, A. (2016). Earth and Life Science for Senior
High School. (M. Moncada, Ed.) Quezon City, Philippines: Educational Resources
Corporation.

Lutgens F., & Tarbuck E. (2017) Foundations of Earth Science. United States of America: Pearson
Education Inc.

Activity is taken from Rekna Trivedi

Development Team of the Module

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Writer: Kevin F. Cudal, Teacher I
Editors: Rebecca M. Roxas-EPS
Reviewers: Arlen Gatpo-PSDS
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ANSWER SHEET in Earth and Life Science Module

Quarter 1 - Week 6 - Module 13: Dating Rocks: Looking to the Earth’s Past

Name: ______________________________ Grade/ Sec. ____________________ Score: ___

Teacher: ____________________________ School: _________________________ Date: ____

General Directions: Write your answers here from Pre-Test to Post-Test including
the answers in the activities. Detach and submit this part to your teacher upon
his/her direction which usually given after you have completed this module.

PRE-TEST
1) 3) 5) 7) 9)
2) 4) 6) 8) 10)

LOOKING BACK TO YOUR LESSON

1. _________________________
2. _________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITIES
Activity 1: Just Shake! Shake! Shake! (Radioactive dating model)
Trials 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Number of
100
coins remains
Number of
0
coins removed

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Answer to the Questions:

1. ____________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________________________________________
6. ____________________________________________________________________________

Part 2: In Which Pair is Oldest?

Relative Dating Law
1. A and B
2. J and K

3. D and E

4. C and D

CHECKING YOUR UNDERSTANDING

A. 1) __________________ 3) __________________ 5) __________________
2) __________________ 4) __________________
B. Show your solution below:

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C. 1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________________________
8. ______________________________________________________________________
9. ______________________________________________________________________
10. ______________________________________________________________________

POSTTEST
1) 3) 5) 7) 9)
2) 4) 6) 8) 10)

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