Question 1

In what scenario is the blue component of incoming sunlight scattered much more than anyother color component?

Accepted Answer

A) when the Sun is setting 
B) when the Sun is high in the sky 
C) when the Sun is rising 
D) during the night time 
E) during a solar eclipse 
A) when the Sun is setting 
B) when the Sun is high in the sky 
C) when the Sun is rising 
D) during the night time 
E) during a solar eclipse

Question 2

How did Alfred Wegener first notice the possibility of plate tectonics? What lies in the gap henoted?

Accepted Answer

He found that the western coast of Afric

Question 3

The Dynamo Theory holds that:

Accepted Answer

A) lightning plays a major role in generating our magnetic fields. 
B) any other planet of similar density will also have a strong magnetic field. 
C) the Earth's core, like Mercury's, is now a solid, rigid bar magnet. 
D) magnetic fields are generated by rapidly spinning, fluid magnetic interiors. 
E) the Earth's magnetic field must switch polarities every few million years. 
A) lightning plays a major role in generating our magnetic fields. 
B) any other planet of similar density will also have a strong magnetic field. 
C) the Earth's core, like Mercury's, is now a solid, rigid bar magnet. 
D) magnetic fields are generated by rapidly spinning, fluid magnetic interiors. 
E) the Earth's magnetic field must switch polarities every few million years.

Question 4

Relate the formation of the Himalayas to plate tectonics.

Accepted Answer

In the last 30 million years, the northw

Question 5

The most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere is oxygen.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Collisions between low density continental plates create the tallest mountain chains, such asthe Himalayas.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

The region around Earth where the magnetic field traps charged particles is the:

Accepted Answer

A) ozone layer. 
B) exosphere. 
C) Van Allen radiation belts. 
D) corona. 
E) aurora borealis and australis. 
A) ozone layer. 
B) exosphere. 
C) Van Allen radiation belts. 
D) corona. 
E) aurora borealis and australis.

Question 8

Which statement about seismic waves is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A) Both S and P waves can be detected by seismographs. 
B) Close to the epicenter, both S and P waves can be recorded. 
C) P waves travel faster, so the gap between their arrival times gives the source's distance. 
D) Only P waves can be detected in the shadow zone. 
E) S waves are blocked by the fluid outer core and cannot be observed on the other side of theplanet from the epicenter. 
A) Both S and P waves can be detected by seismographs. 
B) Close to the epicenter, both S and P waves can be recorded. 
C) P waves travel faster, so the gap between their arrival times gives the source's distance. 
D) Only P waves can be detected in the shadow zone. 
E) S waves are blocked by the fluid outer core and cannot be observed on the other side of theplanet from the epicenter.

Question 9

In what part of our atmosphere do we live?

Accepted Answer

A) troposphere 
B) stratosphere 
C) mesosphere 
D) ionosphere 
E) exosphere 
A) troposphere 
B) stratosphere 
C) mesosphere 
D) ionosphere 
E) exosphere

Question 10

How is the existence of Earth's unique atmosphere explained?

Accepted Answer

A) The oxygen in Earth's atmosphere is a result of early life on Earth. 
B) Volcanic gases containing nitrogen were outgassed from Earth's interior. 
C) As Earth cooled, water vapor fell out of the atmosphere to form the oceans. 
D) Ultraviolet radiation from the Sun freed the hydrogen, allowing it to escape. 
E) When Earth formed, its atmosphere formed from the gases most common in the early solarsystem. 
A) The oxygen in Earth's atmosphere is a result of early life on Earth. 
B) Volcanic gases containing nitrogen were outgassed from Earth's interior. 
C) As Earth cooled, water vapor fell out of the atmosphere to form the oceans. 
D) Ultraviolet radiation from the Sun freed the hydrogen, allowing it to escape. 
E) When Earth formed, its atmosphere formed from the gases most common in the early solarsystem.

Question 11

Which parts of the Sun's radiation are responsible for heating Earth's surface?

Accepted Answer

A) the radio and the ultraviolet 
B) the X-ray and the gamma ray 
C) the ultraviolet and the visible 
D) the visible and the infrared 
E) the infrared and the high energy particles 
A) the radio and the ultraviolet 
B) the X-ray and the gamma ray 
C) the ultraviolet and the visible 
D) the visible and the infrared 
E) the infrared and the high energy particles

Question 12

Chlorofluorocarbons are primarily responsible for:

Accepted Answer

A) global warming. 
B) convection. 
C) the greenhouse effect. 
D) atmospheric turbulence. 
E) ozone depletion. 
A) global warming. 
B) convection. 
C) the greenhouse effect. 
D) atmospheric turbulence. 
E) ozone depletion.

Question 13

At what phase would tidal variation be the least during the entire day?

Accepted Answer

A) new Moon 
B) first quarter 
C) waxing gibbous 
D) full Moon 
E) waning crescent 
A) new Moon 
B) first quarter 
C) waxing gibbous 
D) full Moon 
E) waning crescent

Question 14

The relative size of the mantle of Earth compared to the solid inner core of Earth is mostsimilar to:

Accepted Answer

A) the peel of an orange as compared to the meat of the orange. 
B) the rind of a watermelon as compared to the meat of the watermelon. 
C) the skin of a grape as compared to the meat of the grape. 
D) the meat of a peach as compared to the pit of the peach. 
E) the meat of a cherry as compared to the pit of the cherry. 
A) the peel of an orange as compared to the meat of the orange. 
B) the rind of a watermelon as compared to the meat of the watermelon. 
C) the skin of a grape as compared to the meat of the grape. 
D) the meat of a peach as compared to the pit of the peach. 
E) the meat of a cherry as compared to the pit of the cherry.

Question 15

Clouds form primarily at the boundary between:

Accepted Answer

A) the stratosphere and the mesosphere. 
B) the mesosphere and the ionosphere. 
C) the troposphere and the mesosphere. 
D) the troposphere and the stratosphere. 
E) the hydrosphere and the troposphere. 
A) the stratosphere and the mesosphere. 
B) the mesosphere and the ionosphere. 
C) the troposphere and the mesosphere. 
D) the troposphere and the stratosphere. 
E) the hydrosphere and the troposphere.

Question 16

Arrange the layers of the Earth from the core outward, describing their major materials.

Accepted Answer

The inner core is solid nickel and iron,

Question 17

What is the hole in the ozone layer thought to be caused by?

Accepted Answer

A) greenhouse gases 
B) carbon dioxide 
C) water vapor 
D) CFCs 
E) acid rain 
A) greenhouse gases 
B) carbon dioxide 
C) water vapor 
D) CFCs 
E) acid rain

Question 18

The speed of the current warming trend is no different than those seen in fossil records.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the largest tectonic feature on our planet.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

What is the process that physically transfers heat from a lower (hotter)to a higher (cooler)level?

Accepted Answer

A) radiation 
B) translation 
C) convection 
D) reflection 
E) conduction 
A) radiation 
B) translation 
C) convection 
D) reflection 
E) conduction

Exam 7: Earth: Our Home in Space

In what scenario is the blue component of incoming sunlight scattered much more than anyother color component?

How did Alfred Wegener first notice the possibility of plate tectonics? What lies in the gap henoted?

The Dynamo Theory holds that:

Relate the formation of the Himalayas to plate tectonics.

The most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere is oxygen.

Collisions between low density continental plates create the tallest mountain chains, such asthe Himalayas.

The region around Earth where the magnetic field traps charged particles is the:

Which statement about seismic waves is FALSE?

In what part of our atmosphere do we live?

How is the existence of Earth's unique atmosphere explained?

Which parts of the Sun's radiation are responsible for heating Earth's surface?

Chlorofluorocarbons are primarily responsible for:

At what phase would tidal variation be the least during the entire day?

The relative size of the mantle of Earth compared to the solid inner core of Earth is mostsimilar to:

Clouds form primarily at the boundary between:

Arrange the layers of the Earth from the core outward, describing their major materials.

What is the hole in the ozone layer thought to be caused by?

The speed of the current warming trend is no different than those seen in fossil records.

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the largest tectonic feature on our planet.

What is the process that physically transfers heat from a lower (hotter)to a higher (cooler)level?

Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

Radiation: Information From the Cosmos

Spectroscopy: the Inner Workings of Atoms

Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Venus: Earths Sister Planet

Mars: a Near Miss for Life

Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System

Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

Exoplanets: Planetary Systems Beyond Our Own

The Sun: Our Parent Star

The Stars: Giants, Dwarfs, and the Main Sequence

The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust Among the Stars

Star Formation: a Traumatic Birth

Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star

Stellar Explosions: Novae, Supernovae, and the Formation of the Elements

Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter

The Milky Way Galaxy: a Spiral in Space

Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe

Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos

Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe

The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe: Are We Alone

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