Correctly complete each statement that follows.

1.  The wearing away of the earth's surface is called _______________.

2.  The ability of a mineral to split is called its  _______________.

3.  The resistance of a mineral to scratching is a measure of that mineral's _______________.

4.  The carrying away of earth material is called  _______________.

5.  _______________ is the color of the powdered mineral on a porcelain plate.

6.  Rain and snow are forms of _______________.

7.  The change of substance state from gas to liquid is called _______________.

8.  The loss of water from plants is called  _______________.

9.  The change of substance state from liquid to gas is called _______________.

10.  The ___________________ is the layer of rock forming a shell around the earth.
 

Choose the response which best completes the following statements or answers the following questions.

1.    Fossils can be used to explain  (1.) the development of life  (2.) climates of the past   (3.) prehistoric environments
       (4.) all of these

2.    If a mineral has a hardness of 7, then it can NOT scratch a mineral with a hardness of   (1.) 1  (2.) 3  (3.) 6  (4.) 9

3.    The surface of the Earth undergoes change.    Because of this, the Earth's features are  (1.) only being built up
       (2.) only being worn  away  (3.) being built up and worn down     (4.) remain the same

4.    There are many ways used in identifying  minerals.  The poorest way to identify a
       mineral is by its  (1.) color  (2.) streak   (3.) cleavage  (4.) density

5.    The type of rock that generally contains fossils is  (1.) sedimentary rock  (2.) metamorphic rock
       (3.) composite rock   (4.) igneous rock

6.    Which rock type is formed under conditions of great heat and pressure and frequently displays banding patterns?
       (1.) igneous rock  (2.) composite rock    (3.) sedimentary rock  (4.) metamorphic rock

7.    Folding and faulting of mountains is caused mainly by  (1.) earthquakes  (2.) hurricanes
       (3.) the pull of the Moon and Sun     (4.) movements of crustal plates

8.    Earthquakes occur when large blocks of rocks move along cracks or breaks in the Earth's
       crust called  (1.) zones  (2.) faults   (3.) joints  (4.) fractures

9.    If a rock formed from molten lava, it is probably a(n)  (1.) igneous rock   (2.) composite rock
       (3.) metamorphic rock    (4.) sedimentary rock

10.   _____ is the most abundant gas in the air.   (1.) Oxygen  (2.) Water vapor  (3.) Argon
        (4.) Nitrogen

11.  The _____ is all the water that occurs at Earth's surface.   (1.) ocean  (2.) hydrosphere
        (3.)  ionosphere   (4.)  water cycle

12.  _______ provide(s) the energy for the water cycle.   (1.) Tides   (2.) Convection currents
       (3.) Prevailing winds   (4.) The sun

13.  The mass movement of all sediments is caused by   (1.) wind.  (2.) water.  (3.) gravity.
       (4.) waves.

14.  One cause of chemical weathering is  (1.) freezing and thawing.
       (2.) the growth of plants.   (3.) carbon dioxide dissolved in rainwater.
       (4.) abrasion.

15.  Rock is physically broken into smaller pieces in the process called
       (1.) erosion.  (2.) mechanical weathering  (3.) chemical weathering  (4.) oxidation.

16. Which is true as you move deeper into the Earth?
       (1.) Temperature and pressure increase.
       (2.) Temperature increases and pressure decreases.
       (3.) Temperature increases and pressure stays the same.
       (4.) Pressure increases and temperature stays the same.

17.  Heat flows through the Earth's mantle by  (1.)  radiation.  (2.) conduction.
       (3.) convection.  (4.) direct heat transfer.

18.  Which two measurements are needed to calculate a mineral's density?
        (1.) mass and volume  (2.) volume and heft   (3.) mass and shape
        (4.) shape and heft

19.  Why is the rock cycle a dynamic cycle?   (1.) because rocks never change
        (2.) because rocks are continually changing
        (3.) because rocks follow one path along the cycle
        (4.) because rocks come in many sizes and shapes

20.  The three types of rock are igneous,  (1.) magma, and lava  (2.) intrusive, and extrusive
       (3.) detrital, and organic   (4.) sedimentary, and metamorphic

21.  When hot molten rock reaches Earth's surface, it is called  (1.) lava  (2.) magma
       (3.) basaltic   (4.) intrusive

22.  Metamorphic rocks are formed by changes in  (1.) heat and pressure
       (2.) air and moisture   (3.) compaction and compression  (4.) magma and lava

23.  Through _______, sediments are deposited at a new location.   (1.) weathering
       (2.) erosion   (3.) compaction   (4.) cementation

24.   _______ breaks apart rocks without changing their chemical composition.
        (1.) Mechanical weathering   (2.) Chemical weathering  (3.) Erosion  (4.) Oxidation

25.   How can water break rocks apart?
        (1.) by freezing and expanding in the cracks of rocks
        (2.) by combining with chemicals in rocks to form new compounds
        (3.) by combining with carbon dioxide from the air to form carbonic acid
        (4.) All of the above choices are correct.

26.   The movement of surface materials from one place to another is called
        (1.) weathering   (2.) sediment   (3.) erosion   (4.) deposition

27.   One of the best ways to reduce soil erosion is by  (1.)  tilling crops   (2.)  building houses
        (3.) planting vegetation with fibrous root systems   (4.) adding fertilizer to the soil

28.  One characteristic that all agents of erosion have in common is
       (1.) they carry sediments when they have enough energy of motion
       (2.) they are most likely to erode when sediments are moist
       (3.) they create deposits called dunes
       (4.) they erode large sediments before they erode small ones

29.  At the very center of Earth is a solid, very dense _______ composed mostly of iron and nickel.
       (1.) inner core   (2.) outer core   (3.) crust   (4.) mantle

30.  One of the best predictors of whether earthquakes will occur in a region is
       (1.) a history of earthquakes there   (2.) presence of plate boundaries
       (3.) Both of the above choices are correct.
       (4.) Neither of the above choices is correct.

31.  An important safety precaution to take in preparing for an earthquake is to
       (1.) take heavy objects down from high shelves   (2.) secure gas appliances
       (3.) stay away from windows   (4.) All of the above choices are correct.

32.  ______ cause rock to melt and form magma.  (1.)  Heat and moisture
       (2.) Heat and pressure   (3.) Moisture and pressure   (4.) Heat and trapped gases

33.  The theory of _____ states that continents moved to their present positions.
       (1.) subduction  (2.) seafloor spreading  (3.) continental drift  (4.) erosion

34.  The driving force of plate tectonics is supplied by  (1.) shear  (2.) tension
       (3.) compression  (4.) convection currents

35.  How do plates interact?  (1.)  They collide.  (2.) They pull apart.
       (3.) They move past one another.   (4.) All of the above choices are correct.

36. Two of the main effects of plate tectonics are  (1.) earthquakes and floods
       (2.) floods and tornadoes   (3.) dogs and cats   (4.) earthquakes and volcanoes

37.  Which is the overall dominant agent of erosion on the Earth?  (1.) water   (2.) wind
        (3.) volcanoes   (4.) earthquakes

[Short Answer Questions]

1.    List two evidences supporting the theory of continental drift.
 
 
 

2.    Explain what is meant by the idea of plate tectonics.   Explain what may cause plate tectonics
       and how this idea may drive the continental drift discussed in the previous question.

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