The relative age of rocks on your workbook worksheet will depend on the date stamping on the specimen. Below I will explain how to determine the relative age of a rock by using this method.
Before you start to look at the characteristics of the rocks you are going to need to find out what the name of the specimen is. To do this just to get a close up picture of the specimen or you can get a photo of it. If you can’t get a close up photo or if you can’t get a picture of the specimen, you can use an illustration.
Once you have determined the name of the specimen you are going to look at the characteristics of the rock. The rock may be flat and smooth, which means that it is younger. You can also find out by looking at the depth of the sample. If the rock is very old then it will have very deep layers.
Then you should know by looking at the surface of the rock if there are sharp edges on it. This is known as a splintery texture. If the specimen has sharp edges then it will most likely be older than the other rocks in the workbook. When you see a wide band of gray on the surface of the rock, that is known as a diamond.
If the specimen has a narrow band of gray between the two colors, that is known as a prism, then the specimen is younger. Finally, you should know that there are a few other characteristics that the specimen will have such as, if the specimen has a long fracture, it will most likely be older than other rocks in the worksheet.
There are other features like if the specimen has any pockets or fine details that are hard to see with the naked eye. If the specimen has a dark stripe or streak, this may indicate that it is a younger specimen.
If you have a little more time to think about the worksheet then you can use one of the worksheets that are available for you to determine the relative age of rocks. This method is called the dendrochronology worksheet and it is very helpful in determining the age of the rock. It is also a good way to compare the age of different rocks in the same worksheet.
You can also find out the relative age of rocks from an arthrocentrum, an angular stone, or a graphite block. This can help you find out the relative age of rocks and minerals on the worksheet. It is a good idea to use all of these types of samples because they will give you the most accurate information possible.
