Deck 1: The Earth in Context

Question 1

Atoms that are heavier than iron are generally produced by

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

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Our sun belongs to a galaxy known as

A)Andromeda.
B)Cepheus.
C)the Milky Way.
D)the Stratosphere.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The __________ theory states that the universe is continually growing.

A)Big Bang
B)expanding universe
C)nebular expansion
D)heliocentric

Answer 3

B

Question 4

It is believed that our solar system resulted from a second- or third-generation nebula. The primary line of evidence for this is the

A)age of the sun.
B)size of the sun.
C)number of gas giants.
D)mix of complex elements.

Question 5

The sun was created at the center of the accretionary disk when the temperature became high enough for _________ to occur.

A)fusion
B)fission
C)combustion
D)radiation

Question 6

If two atoms of deuterium (an isotope of hydrogen) are bound together at the atomic level (nuclear fusion), what element is formed?

A)carbon
B)helium
C)beryllium
D)lithium

Question 7

Which of the following bodies is the smallest?

A)planet
B)star
C)protoplanet
D)planetesimal

Question 8

Terrestrial planets are mainly composed of __________ , whereas Jovian planets are made dominantly of __________.

A)volatiles; rock and metals
B)rock and metals; volatiles
C)volatiles; sediment
D)sediment; solid Fe-Ni metal

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT considered electromagnetic radiation?

A)x-rays
B)radio waves
C)cosmic rays
D)ultraviolet light

Question 10

Big Bang nucleosynthesis yielded primarily

A)light elements of atomic numbers less than 15.
B)heavy elements with atomic numbers greater than 25.
C)light elements with atomic numbers less than 5.
D)all 92 naturally occurring elements on the periodic table.

Question 11

Before the Renaissance, most people assumed which of the following things about Earth?

A)Earth orbits around the sun.
B)The sun orbits around Earth.
C)Earth is a stationary planet.
D)All celestial objects move around Earth.

Question 12

The Jovian planets are

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

Question 13

Where are the protons located in the image of an atom below?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D

Question 14

The best estimate of when the universe formed is

A)13.7 Ma.
B)13.8 Ga.
C) 4.57 Ma.
D) 4.57 Ga.

Question 15

The planets orbit the sun along the __________ plane.

A)orbital
B)concentric
C)ecliptic
D)rotational

Question 16

The study of the overall structure, formation, and evolution of the universe and all objects within it is known as

A)geology.
B)geophysics.
C)physics.
D)cosmology

Question 17

According to the expanding universe theory, our universe is

A)expanding only.
B)contracting only.
C)not moving at all.
D)contracting and expanding.

Question 18

Differentiation of the core from the mantle early in Earth's history was possible because the planet was __________ at the time.

A)very cold
B)very hot
C)very small
D)the only planet in the solar system

Question 19

Compared with our sun, first-generation stars tend to be __________ in mass and _________

A)larger; cooler
B)larger; hotter
C)smaller; cooler
D)smaller; hotter

Question 20

The process of differentiation of the Earth into discrete layers is thought to have been completed by

A)4.54 Ma.
B)13.7 Ga.
C)13.8 Ma.
D)4.54 Ga.

Question 21

Volatile materials can exist as a gas at Earth's surface. Which of the following is NOT a volatile material?

A)water
B)silicon
C)hydrogen
D)carbon dioxide

Question 22

Which of the following images shows the formation of the moon?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D

Question 23

Molten rock beneath Earth's surface is termed

A)lava.
B)magma.
C)volatiles
D)mantle.

Question 24

Metamorphic rock is formed

A)by the solidification of molten rock.
B)when existing rocks undergo changes caused by increases in pressure, temperature, or both.
C)by the cementing together of solid grains, or by the precipitation of minerals out of water solutions, at or near the Earth's surface.
D)through weathering processes at or near Earth's surface.

Question 25

The process of differentiation results in all of the following EXCEPT

A)denser materials becoming concentrated near the cores of planets.
B)rocky material forming the mantles of planets.
C)planets becoming approximately spherical.
D)planets forming atmospheres.

Question 26

In the whole Earth, the four most common elements (by mass) are oxygen, silicon, magnesium, and

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

Question 27

The age of the universe is

A)less than the age of the Earth.
B)the exact same age as the Earth.
C)greater than the age of the Earth.
D)impossible to determine.

Question 28

Measuring the elevation of a mountain means measuring variation in __________ , whereas doing the same on a mid-ocean ridge would be measuring variation in __________ .

A)bathymetry; topography
B)bathymetry; isostasy
C)topography; isostasy
D)topography; bathymetry

Question 29

According to the Big Bang theory,

A)Earth is much older than the rest of the universe.
B)the universe is much 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 30

If one were to ride a hot air balloon up into the atmosphere, one would experience the concentration of gases

A)becoming denser.
B)becoming less dense.
C)remaining the same.
D)increasing for the first 10 km, then starting to decline.

Question 31

The Earth's magnetic field is a

A)monopole, as would be produced by just one pole of a magnet.
B)dipole, such as that produced by a bar magnet.
C)torus, a doughnut-shaped ring parallel to Earth's equator.
D)sphere, following the shape of Earth.

Question 32

Presently, which two gases dominate Earth's atmosphere?

A)hydrogen and helium
B)oxygen and carbon dioxide
C)nitrogen and oxygen
D)carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide

Question 33

The image below shows Earth's magnetic field. Earth's magnetic field lines are distorted (i.e., not symmetrical) because

A)Earth is rapidly rotating around the sun.
B)Earth is rotating on an internal axis.
C)convection is occurring in the outer core.
D)solar wind warps Earth's magnetic field lines.

Question 34

An aurora is produced when

A)solar wind particles are directed toward the magnetic poles and excite atmospheric gases.
B)swamp gases rise from the arctic tundra and react with the upper atmosphere.
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 35

The density of rocks in Earth's layers is generally related to composition. Which of the following choices places compositions in order of increasing density?

A)mantle, crust, core
B)mantle, core, crust
C)crust, mantle, core
D)core, mantle, crust

Question 36

Igneous rock is formed

A)by the solidification of molten rock.
B)when existing rocks undergo changes caused by increases in pressure, temperature, or both.
C)by the cementing together of solid grains, or by the precipitation of minerals out of water solutions, at or near the Earth's surface.
D)through weathering processes at or near Earth's surface.

Question 37

Glass is different from a mineral because it

A)is not naturally occurring.
B)is not a solid.
C)does not have atoms arranged in an orderly pattern.
D)contains carbon and is therefore organic.

Question 38

On Earth, __________ percent of water is fresh (nonsaline); most of this fresh water resides primarily in __________ .

A)97; the oceans
B)3; glaciers and icecaps
C)50; the oceans
D)25; groundwater

Question 39

The atmosphere is densest closest to the surface of Earth because

A)the types of gases are different compared to higher up in the atmosphere.
B)the force of gravity decreases closer to Earth's surface.
C)solar wind strips the atmosphere of oxygen molecules close to Earth's surface.
D)the weight of the gas higher in the atmosphere pushes down on the gas below.

Question 40

A substance is NOT required to __________ to be considered a mineral.

A)be solid
B)be naturally occurring
C)contain carbon.
D)have atoms arranged in an orderly pattern

Question 41

Is it less strenuous to go for a jog in San Diego (at sea level) or in Denver (at an altitude of 1 mile)?

Question 42

Where does Earth's magnetic field originate and what is the primary benefit of the magnetic field to life on Earth?

Question 43

Why is the Earth round?

Question 44

Contrast oceanic crust and continental crust based on their composition and thickness.

Question 45

In general, the mantle is made of the rock

A)granite.
B)basalt.
C)gabbro.
D)peridotite

Question 46

Geologists are able to study Earth's interior primarily using

A)chemical analyses of rocks.
B)magnetic measurements.
C)radar.
D)seismic waves.

Question 47

Compared with the crust, the mantle is __________ and __________ able to flow.

A)cooler; more
B)hotter; more
C)cooler; less
D)hotter; less

Question 48

How is soil different from sediment?

Question 49

The densest layer of Earth is the

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

Question 50

As compared to basalt, granite has a

A)lower density.
B)higher density.
C)equal density.
D)similar proportion of crystals.

Question 51

From left to right, correctly label each section of this slice of Earth. Note that 1 starts at the surface of Earth and 6 ends at the center of Earth.

A)1) crust, 2) liquid outer core, 3) transition zone, 4) solid inner core, 5) upper mantle, 6) lower mantle
B)1) crust, 2) upper mantle, 3) transition zone, 4) lower mantle, 5) liquid outer core, 6) solid inner core
C)1) crust, 2) transition zone, 3) upper mantle, 4) lower mantle, 5) liquid outer core, 6) solid inner core
D)1) transition zone, 2) crust, 3) liquid outer core, 4) solid inner core, 5) upper mantle, 6) lower mantle

Question 52

What is the atmosphere? What are the two primary components of the atmosphere? Why does the atmosphere remain associated with the Earth System?

Question 53

During a journey to the center of Earth, one would experience temperature __________ and pressure __________ .

A)increasing; increasing
B)decreasing; decreasing
C)increasing; staying nearly the same
D)remaining remarkably constant; increasing

Question 54

Briefly describe how our solar system formed according to the nebular theory.

Question 55

Which of the following statements about Earth's core is FALSE?

A)It is composed mostly of silicon and oxygen.
B)It is partly liquid and partly solid.
C)It is composed of an iron alloy (mostly iron with a few other metallic elements mixed in).
D)By volume, it is the largest compositional layer of Earth.

Question 56

Draw a cross-section of Earth showing its layers. Label the layers and list the average composition of the layers.

Question 57

The distinction between the crust and the mantle is primarily based on a difference in

A)composition.
B)color of minerals.
C)ability to flow.
D)distance from the sun.

Question 58

The portion of Earth that contains ice is called the

A)geosphere.
B)cryosphere.
C)hydrosphere.
D)biosphere.

Question 59

What is the difference between a mineral and a glass?

Question 60

Pressure and temperature change with increasing depth within the Earth. How do they change, and why?