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Which statement is correct about the law of inclusion and the law of crosscutting in relative dating of rocks and fossils?

A. The law of inclusion states that inclusions are always older than the rocks they are found in, while the law of crosscutting states that any feature cutting across a rock must be younger than the rock.
B. The law of inclusion states that inclusions are always younger than the rocks they are found in, while the law of crosscutting states that any feature cutting across a rock must be older than the rock.
C. Both the law of inclusion and the law of crosscutting apply only to sedimentary rocks.
D. The law of inclusion and the law of crosscutting are not used in relative dating methods.

User Dolphiniac
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The correct statement is A " The law of inclusion states that inclusions are always older than the rocks they are found in, while the law of crosscutting states that any feature cutting across a rock must be younger than the rock."

Which statement is correct about the law of inclusion and the law of crosscutting in relative dating of rocks and fossils?

Inclusions are fragments of older rocks that are enclosed within a younger rock. Therefore, the rock containing the inclusion must be younger than the included rock. Crosscutting relationships refer to features like faults or igneous intrusions that cut across rocks. These features must be younger than the rocks they cut across.

So the correct option is a.

User Sergii
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Final Answer:

The correct about the law of inclusion and the law of crosscutting in relative dating of rocks and fossils is the law of inclusion states that inclusions are always older than the rocks they are found in, while the law of crosscutting states that any feature cutting across a rock must be younger than the rock. so the correct option is A. The law of inclusion states that inclusions are always older than the rocks they are found in, while the law of crosscutting states that any feature cutting across a rock must be younger than the rock.

Step-by-step explanation:

This law implies that if you find fragments (inclusions) within a rock, those fragments must be older than the rock itself. For instance, if you discover a piece of granite embedded in a layer of sedimentary rock, the granite is older than the sedimentary rock.

The law of inclusion asserts that inclusions found in rocks are invariably older than the rocks themselves. The law of crosscutting maintains that any geological feature intersecting a rock must be younger than that rock.

Inclusions often occur during the formation of a rock, capturing older materials within a newer rock matrix. This principle helps geologists understand the chronological sequence of events in Earth's history.

So the correct option is A. The law of inclusion states that inclusions are always older than the rocks they are found in, while the law of crosscutting states that any feature cutting across a rock must be younger than the rock.

User Dan Jaouen
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