Question 1

As compared to the rocks that make up the crust,Earth as a whole is ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  considerably more dense 
B)  considerably less dense 
C)  slightly less dense 
D)  about the same density 
A)  considerably more dense 
B)  considerably less dense 
C)  slightly less dense 
D)  about the same density

Question 2

The lithosphere lies directly above the ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  transition zone 
B)  crust 
C)  asthenosphere 
D)  lower mantle 
A)  transition zone 
B)  crust 
C)  asthenosphere 
D)  lower mantle

Question 3

The Hubble Telescope took this photo in 2009 of an object 7,500 light years away.What is it?

Accepted Answer

A)  a protostar 
B)  a nebula 
C)  a supernova 
D)  a protoplanet 
A)  a protostar 
B)  a nebula 
C)  a supernova 
D)  a protoplanet

Question 4

The Big Bang theory states that ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  all stars will end their lives explosively as supernovas 
B)  Earth formed through a series of violent collisions 
C)  meteors were responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs 
D)  all matter in the Universe was once confined to a single point 
A)  all stars will end their lives explosively as supernovas 
B)  Earth formed through a series of violent collisions 
C)  meteors were responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs 
D)  all matter in the Universe was once confined to a single point

Question 5

The inner planets are terrestrial because _________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  they are made of volatile materials 
B)  they are made of refractory materials 
C)  as our Solar System's proto-Sun formed, the inner part of our protoplanetary disk got hotter causing evaporation 
D)  Both b and c are correct. 
E)  Both a and c are correct. 
A)  they are made of volatile materials 
B)  they are made of refractory materials 
C)  as our Solar System's proto-Sun formed, the inner part of our protoplanetary disk got hotter causing evaporation 
D)  Both b and c are correct. 
E)  Both a and c are correct.

Question 6

An aurora (shown below)is produced when ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  solar wind particles are directed toward the poles and excite atmospheric gases 
B)  swamp gases rise upward from the arctic tundra 
C)  radiation in the Van Allen belts can be seen on a clear, cold night 
D)  lightning travels from cloud to cloud rather than cloud to ground 
A)  solar wind particles are directed toward the poles and excite atmospheric gases 
B)  swamp gases rise upward from the arctic tundra 
C)  radiation in the Van Allen belts can be seen on a clear, cold night 
D)  lightning travels from cloud to cloud rather than cloud to ground

Question 7

The metal alloy that makes up the core of Earth is ____________,as compared to the rocky mantle.

Accepted Answer

A)  less dense 
B)  denser 
C)  very similar in chemistry and density 
D)  distinct in chemistry but of very similar density 
A)  less dense 
B)  denser 
C)  very similar in chemistry and density 
D)  distinct in chemistry but of very similar density

Question 8

The densest layer of Earth is the ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  crust 
B)  mantle 
C)  outer core 
D)  inner core 
A)  crust 
B)  mantle 
C)  outer core 
D)  inner core

Question 9

Presently,Earth's atmosphere is dominated by which two gases?

Accepted Answer

A)  hydrogen and oxygen 
B)  carbon dioxide and methane 
C)  nitrogen and oxygen 
D)  nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide 
A)  hydrogen and oxygen 
B)  carbon dioxide and methane 
C)  nitrogen and oxygen 
D)  nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide

Question 10

During a journey to the center of the Earth,one would experience temperature ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  and pressure both increasing 
B)  and pressure both decreasing 
C)  increasing, but pressure staying nearly the same 
D)  remaining remarkably constant, but pressure increasing 
A)  and pressure both increasing 
B)  and pressure both decreasing 
C)  increasing, but pressure staying nearly the same 
D)  remaining remarkably constant, but pressure increasing

Question 11

The geocentric model (shown below)was developed during the time of the ancient Greeks.This model ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)  was abandoned during the time of the Roman Empire and would never be widely held again 
B)  was held to be true by thinkers throughout the Middle Ages, up until the Renaissance 
C)  was rediscovered by the Polish astronomer Copernicus and has been the accepted model of the Universe ever since 
D)  has been proven by NASA space photos 
A)  was abandoned during the time of the Roman Empire and would never be widely held again 
B)  was held to be true by thinkers throughout the Middle Ages, up until the Renaissance 
C)  was rediscovered by the Polish astronomer Copernicus and has been the accepted model of the Universe ever since 
D)  has been proven by NASA space photos

Question 12

Atoms that are heavier than iron are generally produced by ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  fission reactions within stars 
B)  fusion reactions within stars 
C)  explosion of supernovas 
D)  the Big Bang 
A)  fission reactions within stars 
B)  fusion reactions within stars 
C)  explosion of supernovas 
D)  the Big Bang

Question 13

Why are silicate rocks the most common on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  The most common minerals are silicates. 
B)  Iron, oxygen, silicon and magnesium make up 91.2% of the Earth's mass. 
C)  Oxygen, silicon, iron, and hydrogen make up 91.2% of the Earth's mass. 
D)  Both a and b are correct. 
E)  Both a and c are correct. 
A)  The most common minerals are silicates. 
B)  Iron, oxygen, silicon and magnesium make up 91.2% of the Earth's mass. 
C)  Oxygen, silicon, iron, and hydrogen make up 91.2% of the Earth's mass. 
D)  Both a and b are correct. 
E)  Both a and c are correct.

Question 14

Which layer of the Earth has the greatest density?

Accepted Answer

A)  crust 
B)  mantle 
C)  core 
D)  They all have the same density. 
A)  crust 
B)  mantle 
C)  core 
D)  They all have the same density.

Question 15

In our current understanding of the Big Bang,____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth is much older than the rest of the Universe 
B)  the Universe is considerably older than Earth 
C)  Earth and the Universe formed at about the same time 
D)  there is no way of knowing how old the Universe might be 
A)  Earth is much older than the rest of the Universe 
B)  the Universe is considerably older than Earth 
C)  Earth and the Universe formed at about the same time 
D)  there is no way of knowing how old the Universe might be

Question 16

An explanation for the origin of planets,moons,asteroids,and comets is the______________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  Expanding Universe theory 
B)  Nebular theory 
C)  Big Bang theory 
D)  theory of plate tectonics 
A)  Expanding Universe theory 
B)  Nebular theory 
C)  Big Bang theory 
D)  theory of plate tectonics

Question 17

Hydrocarbons,such as petroleum and natural gas,are classified as ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  minerals 
B)  fluid rocks 
C)  organic materials 
D)  alloys 
A)  minerals 
B)  fluid rocks 
C)  organic materials 
D)  alloys

Question 18

Hot,liquid rock beneath the surface of the Earth is termed ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  lava 
B)  magma 
C)  volatiles 
D)  brimstone 
A)  lava 
B)  magma 
C)  volatiles 
D)  brimstone

Question 19

Chemically,the Moon is quite similar to ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  sea water 
B)  Earth's crust 
C)  Earth's mantle 
D)  Earth's core 
A)  sea water 
B)  Earth's crust 
C)  Earth's mantle 
D)  Earth's core

Question 20

The gas giant,or Jovian,planets are ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  Mars, Mercury, and Venus 
B)  Mars, Venus, and Jupiter 
C)  Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune 
D)  Mars and Saturn 
A)  Mars, Mercury, and Venus 
B)  Mars, Venus, and Jupiter 
C)  Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune 
D)  Mars and Saturn

Exam 1: The Earth in Context

As compared to the rocks that make up the crust,Earth as a whole is ____________.

The lithosphere lies directly above the ____________.

The Hubble Telescope took this photo in 2009 of an object 7,500 light years away.What is it?

The Big Bang theory states that ____________.

The inner planets are terrestrial because _________________.

An aurora (shown below)is produced when ____________.

The metal alloy that makes up the core of Earth is ____________,as compared to the rocky mantle.

The densest layer of Earth is the ____________.

Presently,Earth's atmosphere is dominated by which two gases?

During a journey to the center of the Earth,one would experience temperature ____________.

The geocentric model (shown below)was developed during the time of the ancient Greeks.This model ___________.

Atoms that are heavier than iron are generally produced by ____________.

Why are silicate rocks the most common on Earth?

Which layer of the Earth has the greatest density?

In our current understanding of the Big Bang,____________.

An explanation for the origin of planets,moons,asteroids,and comets is the______________________.

Hydrocarbons,such as petroleum and natural gas,are classified as ____________.

Hot,liquid rock beneath the surface of the Earth is termed ____________.

Chemically,the Moon is quite similar to ____________.

The gas giant,or Jovian,planets are ____________.

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

Pages of Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Crags, cracks, and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of Earth

Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Global Change in the Earth System

Rock Groups

A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

The Rock Cycle

The Earths Interior Revisited: Insights From Geophysics

Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

An Introduction to Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

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