Deck 12: Chemistry of the Earth

Question 1

Calcium carbonate is NOT found in

A) seashells.
B) chalcopyrite.
C) pearls.
D) stalactites.

Answer 1

chalcopyrite.

Question 2

The basic unit of silicates is

A) SiO.
B) SiO₂.
C) SiO₃.
D) SiO₄.

Answer 2

SiO₄.

Question 3

In terms of composition, nine elements compose approximately what percentage of the earth's crust?

A) ≈ 50%
B) ≈ 75%
C) ≈ 90%
D) > 96%

Answer 3

> 96%

Question 4

Silicates are compounds composed of

A) silicon only.
B) silicon and metals.
C) silicon, oxygen and metals.
D) silicon, sulfur and metals.

Question 5

The three major structural parts of the earth are

A) core, mantle and crust.
B) lithosphere, atmosphere and crust.
C) mantle, crust and atmosphere.
D) lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.

Question 6

Pure quartz is composed of

A) silicon and oxygen.
B) silicon, oxygen and metals.
C) silicon, sulfur and metals.
D) calcium, oxygen and metals.

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a major component of the earth's rocks and minerals?

A) carbonates
B) organic compounds
C) oxides
D) silicates

Question 8

The most abundant element in the earth's crust is

A) silicon.
B) iron.
C) oxygen.
D) sodium.

Question 9

The organic portion of the lithosphere contains

A) soil and fossilized materials.
B) water.
C) minerals.
D) rocks.

Question 10

The inorganic portion of the lithosphere is made up of silicon and nonmetals like oxygen, sulfur and carbon chemically combined with

A) metals.
B) nonmetals.
C) carbon.
D) water.

Question 11

Which of the following correctly summarizes the relative composition of the lithosphere with respect to inorganic and organic material?

A) inorganic > organic
B) inorganic = organic
C) inorganic < organic
D) There is no organic matter in the lithosphere.

Question 12

Which of the following technological advances was NOT made possible by access to high temperatures?

A) manufacture of glass
B) extraction of metals from ores
C) manufacture of ceramic bricks and pots
D) All of the above were made possible by access to high temperatures.

Question 13

Which of the following are part of the earth's crust?

A) core, mantle and atmosphere
B) lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere
C) mantle, stratosphere and ionosphere
D) hydrosphere, geosphere and core

Question 14

The lithosphere is the ________ part of the earth's crust.

A) gaseous
B) liquid
C) solid
D) water

Question 15

The majority of metals and minerals come from the

A) lithosphere.
B) hydrosphere.
C) mantle.
D) atmosphere.

Question 16

Concrete is a mixture of cement along with

A) water.
B) gravel.
C) sand and gravel.
D) sand, gravel, and water.

Question 17

Limestone is consists of

A) Al₂O₃.
B) CaCO₃.
C) Fe₂O₃.
D) PbS.

Question 18

All of the following combinations of elements form minerals that are found in the lithosphere EXCEPT

A) metals, silicon and oxygen.
B) metals, carbon and oxygen.
C) metals and oxygen.
D) carbon and hydrogen.

Question 19

The second most abundant element in the earth's crust is

A) iron.
B) aluminum.
C) magnesium.
D) silicon.

Question 20

Carbonates are composed of

A) carbon and oxygen.
B) carbon, oxygen and metals.
C) carbon, sulfur and metals.
D) carbohydrates and metals.

Question 21

Clay consists mostly of

A) aluminum oxides.
B) aluminum hydroxides.
C) silicates.
D) carbonates.

Question 22

Which of the following problems is NOT created by the production of cement?

A) Particulate material can result from mining of the limestone.
B) Smoke and sulfur dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels increase air pollution.
C) Incineration at high temperature is needed to destroy toxic organic wastes.
D) It requires extensive mining of limestone, and large mountains and hills are being destroyed.

Question 23

Great quantities of ________ have been used to insulate furnaces, heating ducts, and steam pipes.

A) asbestos
B) iron
C) agate
D) polyester

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT a silicate?

A) mica
B) marble
C) asbestos
D) zircon

Question 25

One of the major problems associated with the production of glass is

A) the amount of energy required.
B) the amount of sand required.
C) the amount of limestone required.
D) the amount of sodium carbonate.

Question 26

The color of quartz crystals is due to

A) the arrangement of silicon and oxygen atoms.
B) inorganic impurities.
C) magnesium.
D) organic substances.

Question 27

Optical fibers are made from hair-thin threads of

A) marble.
B) glass.
C) asbestos.
D) ceramics.

Question 28

Clays have widely varying compositions, but basically they are

A) aluminum carbonates.
B) aluminum silicates.
C) iron carbonates.
D) iron silicates.

Question 29

Which material is characterized by a double chain arrangement of SiO₄ tetrahedra?

A) asbestos
B) mica
C) glass
D) quartz

Question 30

As opposed to most solids, when glass is heated, it

A) melts rapidly to a liquid over a narrow temperature range.
B) goes directly into the gas phase; a process known as sublimation.
C) separates into its individual components.
D) gradually softens over a wide temperature range.

Question 31

Which material is characterized by a well-ordered, three-dimensional structure of SiO₄ tetrahedra?

A) asbestos
B) mica
C) glass
D) quartz

Question 32

Pottery is made nonporous by

A) heating.
B) firing.
C) glazing.
D) painting.

Question 33

Which one of the following materials is longest lasting?

A) ceramics
B) concrete
C) glass
D) plastic

Question 34

Cement is a complex mixture of

A) calcium and aluminum silicates.
B) sodium and calcium silicates.
C) selenium and cobalt compounds.
D) lithium and sodium silicates.

Question 35

Cigarette smoke and asbestos fibers act in such a way that each enhances the action of the other. This is known as a(n) ________ effect.

A) isotope
B) synergistic
C) dilution
D) concentration

Question 36

Assume that you have two compounds, A and B, each of which is known to increase the risk of developing cancer. A and B act in synergy. Your risk of developing cancer if you were exposed to both A and B would be

A) the higher of the risk from A or the risk from B.
B) the sum of the individual risks from A and B.
C) lower than the sum of the individual risks.
D) greater than the sum of the individual risks.

Question 37

Which of the following is a noncrystalline solid that has no defined melting point?

A) quartz
B) glass
C) cement
D) mica

Question 38

The two major components in cement are

A) clay and limestone.
B) sand and limestone.
C) calcium carbonate and limestone.
D) quartz and limestone.

Question 39

Which material is characterized by a two-dimensional sheetlike arrangement of SiO₄ tetrahedra?

A) asbestos
B) mica
C) glass
D) quartz

Question 40

The properties of glass are modified by which approach?

A) firing at higher temperatures
B) glazing at low temperatures
C) adding various metal oxides
D) substituting carbon dioxide for silicon dioxide

Question 41

The feature that makes iron a useful material is its

A) resistance to corrosion.
B) low weight to strength ratio.
C) high weight to strength ratio.
D) ability to form a variety of alloys with a variety of metals.

Question 42

Copper is NOT commonly used for

A) automobile bodies.
B) electrical wire.
C) roofing material.
D) plumbing.

Question 43

The name of an ore from which aluminum can be produced is

A) bauxite.
B) chromium.
C) mica.
D) chrysolite.

Question 44

Bronze is an alloy of

A) aluminum and tin.
B) copper and tin.
C) lead and copper.
D) platinum and palladium.

Question 45

Which of the following statements about the corrosion of iron and aluminum is correct?

A) Aluminum reacts with oxygen to form an Al₂O₃ coating, which can flake off easily and allow more aluminum to undergo corrosion.
B) Iron reacts with oxygen to form an Fe₂O₃ coating, which can flake off easily and allow more iron to undergo corrosion.
C) Both aluminum and iron react with oxygen to form oxides which are hard and protect the metal from corrosion.
D) Aluminum corrodes more rapidly than iron does because it is lighter.

Question 46

Iron is so abundant and useful that it accounts for roughly ________ of the world's metal production.

A) 10 %
B) 35 %
C) 65%
D) 95 %

Question 47

Recycling aluminum cans requires ________ percent of the energy of making a new beverage can.

A) 10
B) 30
C) 50
D) 5

Question 48

The extraction of aluminum from its ore requires a great deal of

A) heat.
B) electricity.
C) water.
D) sunlight.

Question 49

The amount of iron on the earth today as compared to the amount of iron 120 years ago (approximately the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution)

A) is less.
B) is essentially the same.
C) is more.
D) cannot be estimated or predicted.

Question 50

Steel is an alloy that always contains which metal?

A) aluminum
B) copper
C) iron
D) lead

Question 51

Steel, in all of its variations, is a(n)

A) alloy.
B) compound.
C) element.
D) pure substance.

Question 52

The principal raw materials for making iron are coal, iron ore and

A) chromium.
B) limestone.
C) clay.
D) oil.

Question 53

In the production of iron, "coke" is used. Coke is

A) previously heated limestone.
B) previously heated coal.
C) black water formed from mixing coal and water.
D) a mineral containing a variety of metals.

Question 54

Limestone is added to the iron producing mixture in a furnace to

A) add carbon to the mixture.
B) provide an additional reducing agent to extract all of the iron from the ore.
C) combine with silicates to remove impurities in the form of a slag.
D) produce a more corrosion resistant iron.

Question 55

Probably the first metal to be freed from its ore by smelting was

A) aluminum.
B) copper.
C) lead.
D) iron.

Question 56

Steel is formed by

A) heating iron at high temperature for a long time.
B) combining iron, carbon and transition metals such as chromium and nickel.
C) oxidizing some of the iron to iron oxides.
D) adding sand and heating to a high temperature.

Question 57

In comparing the actual relative costs of aluminum and steel, which of the following should be considered?

A) cost of mining and transporting the ore
B) cost of environmental maintenance
C) cost of extracting the metal
D) All of the above must be considered.

Question 58

Which of the following statements about technologically important elements is true?

A) China has a virtual monopoly on the rare earth metals.
B) The U.S. still has large deposits of high-grade ores.
C) It requires more energy to extract these metals from high-grade ores than from low-grade ores.
D) The U.S. and other industrial nations are nearly 100% self-sufficient for these metals.

Question 59

If we should "run out" of aluminum someday, it would be because we had

A) converted too much aluminum to another metal.
B) destroyed too much aluminum.
C) used too much aluminum.
D) scattered aluminum too widely in the environment for efficient recovery.

Question 60

Glass can be colored because of the addition of ________ compounds to make a green color.

A) magnesium
B) chromium
C) lithium
D) zinc

Question 61

The organic portion of the earth's lithosphere is greater than the inorganic part.

Question 62

When scrap metal is recycled to make new iron and steel products, there is also a reduction in

A) energy consumption.
B) water pollution.
C) air pollution.
D) All of the above are reduced.

Question 63

Fire was one of the earliest agents that enabled chemical changes.

Question 64

New processes in solid waste disposal include

A) using a mixture of ground up tires and powdered coal as fuel.
B) adding waste glass and rubber tires to road-paving mixtures for use in road construction.
C) converting garbage to oil.
D) All of the above are new processes for waste disposal.

Question 65

Which of the following has led to a rapid increase in the world's population since 1900?

A) an increase in the birth rate
B) a decrease in the birth rate
C) an increase in the death rate
D) a decrease in the death rate

Question 66

Which of the following is NOT a potential problem with a sanitary landfill?

A) A landfill may leak and contaminate groundwater.
B) Materials in a landfill decompose more slowly than materials that are exposed to environmental conditions.
C) The landfill will eventually fill up.
D) All of the above are potential problems of landfills.

Question 67

What is NOT true of plastic bags?

A) They are recyclable.
B) They take a while to break down.
C) They do not harm wildlife.
D) They are made from petroleum.

Question 68

The earth's mantle is primarily composed of carbonates.

Question 69

1.00 kilogram of polyethylene produces about the same energy as ________ kg of no. 2 fuel oil.

A) 1.00
B) 0.50
C) 0.25
D) 1.25

Question 70

The approximate human population of Earth is more than

A) 2 billion.
B) 12 billion.
C) 7 billion.
D) 10 billion.

Question 71

One of the more common rocks on earth is limestone.

Question 72

Which of the following has resulted from the increase in world population?

A) better recycling
B) an increase in waste generation
C) more plentiful water
D) more food

Question 73

The most abundant element in the earth's surface is aluminum.

Question 74

Which of the following metals does the United States import from other countries?

A) indium
B) lithium
C) palladium
D) All of the above are imported from other countries.

Question 75

Which of the following has the highest recycling rate?

A) plastic soft drink bottles
B) steel food cans
C) glass bottles
D) aluminum cans

Question 76

Using hydrogen (H₂) to reduce magnetite (Fe₃O₄) to iron (Fe) is considered to be "greener" than using carbon monoxide (CO) because

A) there are more molecules of the CO₂ by-products produced than molecules of the water by-product.
B) water contributes less to climate change than carbon dioxide does.
C) using hydrogen uses much less energy than using carbon monoxide does.
D) the iron produced by using hydrogen can be replaced by aluminum more easily.

Question 77

Every day, the world population goes up by

A) 300,000 people.
B) 200,000 people.
C) half a million people.
D) a million people.

Question 78

The best way to handle solid waste is to

A) incinerate it.
B) dump it at sea.
C) bury it.
D) reduce it, reuse it and recycle it.

Question 79

The largest percentage of solid waste in municipal solid waste is

A) glass.
B) paper and cardboard.
C) metals.
D) plastics.

Question 80

At the present rate of growth, world population will be approximately ________ billion by 2045.

A) 13
B) 9
C) 16
D) 5