Deck 1: Introduction to Earth

Question 1

Earth's diameter is CLOSEST to ________ kilometers.

A) 12
B) 120
C) 1,200
D) 12,000
E) 120,000

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The north end of Earth's axis points towards

A) the Moon.
B) Mars.
C) Venus.
D) Ork.
E) Polaris.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

The first nearly correct measurement of the Earth's circumference was made by ________.

A) Newton
B) Einstein
C) Eratosthenes
D) Columbus
E) Plato

Answer 3

C

Question 4

"Greenwich Mean Time" is also known as ________.

A) Universal Time Coordinated
B) European Time
C) the perihelion
D) Polaris
E) the Plane of the Ecliptic

Question 5

Russia is the country containing the most time zones. It contains ________ zones.

A) 3
B) 5
C) 9
D) 15
E) 36

Question 6

Near the North Pole, one degree of latitude extends ________ kilometer(s) on the ground.

A) 1
B) 11
C) 111
D) 1,111
E) 11,111

Question 7

At the Equator (0°), a given point on Earth's surface travels about ________ kilometers per hour.

A) 1,600
B) 16,000
C) 160,000
D) 1,600,000
E) 60,000,000

Question 8

The world is divided into ________ standard zones.

A) 11
B) 15
C) 24
D) 180
E) 360

Question 9

On June 21, the Sun's rays are directly over the

A) Equator.
B) Tropic of Cancer.
C) Tropic of Capricorn.
D) Arctic Circle.
E) Plane of the Ecliptic.

Question 10

The response to Earth's rotation is

A) wind.
B) polar flattening.
C) equatorial flattening.
D) Death Valley.
E) Mt. Everest.

Question 11

The fact that at any time during the year, the Earth's axis is parallel to its orientation at all other times is called its parallelism, or ________.

A) revolution
B) rotation
C) polarity
D) aphelion
E) perihelion

Question 12

The Sun's rays are directly overhead at the ________ on or about December 21.

A) Tropic of Capricorn
B) Tropic of Cancer
C) Arctic Circle
D) Antarctic Circle
E) North Pole

Question 13

The Greenwich Meridian is also known as the ________.

A) perihelion
B) aphelion
C) Prime Meridian
D) Equator
E) small circle

Question 14

The Sun is a star in the ________ galaxy.

A) Orion
B) Milky Way
C) Proxima Centauri
D) Alpha Centauri
E) Betelgeuse

Question 15

At the North Pole, one degree of longitude extends ________ kilometers on the ground.

A) 0
B) 10
C) 100
D) 1,000
E) 10,000

Question 16

Of the following, which is a great circle?

A) Tropic of Capricorn
B) Tropic of Cancer
C) Equator
D) Arctic Circle
E) Antarctic Circle

Question 17

How many degrees of latitude are there between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn?

A) 0
B) 23.5
C) 47
D) 90
E) 180

Question 18

Before time zones were created in the 1880s, one could encounter ________ time standards on a rail trip across the United States.

A) 1
B) 5
C) 7
D) 10
E) more than 20

Question 19

The maximum distance between Earth and Sun occurs in July and is called the ________.

A) Coriolis
B) aphelion
C) sidereal
D) ecliptic
E) perihelion

Question 20

Of the following, which is the first day of spring?

A) June solstice
B) March 1
C) vernal equinox
D) equinox
E) solstice

Question 21

Eratosthenes was the first to accurately measure the Earth's ________.

A) radius
B) polarity
C) circumference
D) crust
E) hemisphere

Question 22

A cross section of Earth cut from pole to pole would reveal which shape?

A) circle
B) parabola
C) sine curve
D) ellipse
E) crescent

Question 23

Our solar system contains ________ moons revolving around the planets.

A) no
B) two
C) ten
D) twenty
E) more than one hundred

Question 24

One degree of longitude equals 0 miles on the ground at the ________.

A) Tropic of Capricorn
B) North Pole
C) Tropic of Cancer
D) Antarctic Circle
E) Arctic Circle

Question 25

The United States spans ________ time zones.

A) 3
B) 6
C) 12
D) 24
E) 36

Question 26

Universal Time Coordinated is also known as ________.

A) Pacific Standard Time
B) Greenwich Mean Time
C) Central Daylight Time
D) Leap Year Time
E) the solstice

Question 27

A spot on Earth's surface rotates fastest at the ________.

A) Equator
B) Tropic of Cancer
C) Arctic Circle
D) Tropic of Capricorn
E) North Pole

Question 28

A ________ separates Earth into two hemispheres.

A) solstice
B) great circle
C) small circle
D) perihelion
E) loxodrome

Question 29

The geographic grid line 180 degrees of longitude from the Prime Meridian is the ________.

A) Tropic of Cancer
B) 90th meridian
C) 180th meridian
D) 320th meridian
E) Tropic of Capricorn

Question 30

The 0° Meridian is the same line as the ________ .

A) International Date Line
B) Equator
C) perihelion
D) Prime Meridian
E) geographic grid

Question 31

When the circle of illumination just touches the Arctic Circle and the North Pole is dark, the date is closest to

A) March 23.
B) June 21.
C) September 23.
D) December 21.
E) July 4.

Question 32

The distance of 150,000,000 kilometers is CLOSEST to being ________.

A) the aphelion
B) the perihelion
C) the circle of illumination
D) a light year
E) the average Earth/Sun distance

Question 33

When the Sun's rays are directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn, it is ________.

A) March 21
B) June 21
C) September 21
D) December 21
E) October 21

Question 34

At the time of the aphelion, Earth is ________ million kilometers from the Sun.

A) 5.2
B) 52
C) 152
D) 1,520
E) 15,200

Question 35

Longitude is divided into multiples of ________ degrees for the purpose of delimiting standard time zones.

A) 10
B) 15
C) 25
D) 30
E) 34

Question 36

How many time zones are contained within Alaska?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5

Question 37

The Milky Way is one of, at least, ________ galaxies in the Universe.

A) two thousand
B) two hundred thousand
C) two million
D) two hundred billion
E) two trillion

Question 38

The closest position taken by the Earth relative to the Sun is ________ million kilometers.

A) 10
B) 47
C) 147
D) 1,470
E) 14,700

Question 39

The Earth/Sun aphelion occurs once per year during the month of ________.

A) January
B) March
C) July
D) December
E) September

Question 40

The altitudinal difference (relief) between the top of the tallest mountain and the bottom of the deepest ocean trench is CLOSEST to ________ kilometers.

A) 20
B) 200
C) 2,000
D) 20,000
E) 200,000

Question 41

A(n) ________ is a vertical piece of metal on a sundial.

A) hour hand
B) ephemeris
C) gnomon
D) circle of illumination
E) solstice

Question 42

The acceptance of of a theory or hypothesis is based on

A) a preponderance of evidence.
B) a hunch.
C) belief.
D) the pronouncements of authorities.
E) all of the above

Question 43

The moon is some ________ kilometers distant from Earth.

A) 3.85
B) 385
C) 3,850
D) 385,000
E) 38,500,000

Question 44

The size of the Universe is best described as

A) 100,000 light years across.
B) small.
C) in terms of the width of 5 galaxies across.
D) 1 astronomical unit across.
E) vast beyond comprehension.

Question 45

Numbered meridians

A) are semicircles.
B) are east-west lines.
C) diverge as they near the poles.
D) are the same thing as parallels.
E) are numbered from 0-100 in three hemispheres.

Question 46

Which of the following is a central meridian in the standardized time system?

A) 5°W
B) 10°W
C) 15°W
D) 20°W
E) 25°W

Question 47

Which of the following is out of order in the ideal application of the scientific method?

A) observe a phenomenon that stimulates a question
B) design an experiment
C) observe the outcome of an experiment
D) formulate a rule
E) make a hypothesis

Question 48

The solid, inorganic portion of the Earth system is known as the ________.

A) Earth
B) lithosphere
C) hydrosphere
D) atmosphere
E) biosphere

Question 49

The Milky Way is a galaxy some ________ light years in diameter.

A) 10
B) 100
C) 1,000
D) 10,000
E) 100,000

Question 50

At the International Date Line, there is a change of ________.

A) season
B) hour
C) year
D) day
E) day and time zone

Question 51

On both the Spring and Fall equinoxes, the Sun's rays are vertically overhead at the ________.

A) Tropic of Cancer
B) Equator
C) Tropic of Capricorn
D) Arctic Circle
E) none of the above

Question 52

The farthest north the vertical rays of the Sun ever reach north of the Equator occurs on or about ________.

A) March 23
B) June 21
C) September 23
D) December 21
E) July 4

Question 53

The Earth is 3.3 percent closer to the Sun during the Northern Hemisphere ________ than when it is farthest away.

A) spring
B) summer
C) fall
D) winter
E) aphelion

Question 54

In science, the term "theory" is

A) a first guess.
B) an unsupported hunch.
C) revolution around Earth.
D) not relevant.
E) the highest order of understanding.

Question 55

Standardization in world time zones dates from ________.

A) 1584
B) 1684
C) 1784
D) 1884
E) 1984

Question 56

The circle of illumination just touches the Antarctic Circle on or about ________.

A) March 23
B) June 21
C) September 23
D) December 21
E) January 1

Question 57

The constant angle between Earth's axis and the Plane of the Ecliptic is called Earth's ________.

A) polarity
B) Mean Time
C) perihelion
D) aphelion
E) praxis

Question 58

The most important physical effect of the Earth's rotation is ________.

A) to cause continents to "drift"
B) seasonal change
C) the alternation of sunlight and darkness
D) Daylight Saving Time
E) the blue appearance of clear sky

Question 59

The highest numbered latitude used in the geographic grid is ________°.

A) 90
B) 100
C) 180
D) 360
E) 365

Question 60

The solar system's Jovian planets are most likely composed of ________.

A) gas
B) interstellar dust
C) granite
D) basalt
E) water

Question 61

The best description of the actual shape of the Earth is as a(n)

A) circle.
B) sphere.
C) spheroid.
D) oblate spheroid.
E) centroid.

Question 62

Which of the following best describes the latitude and longitude of North America?

A) Northern and Southern Hemispheres
B) Eastern and Western Hemispheres
C) Northern and Eastern Hemispheres
D) Eastern and Southern Hemispheres
E) Northern and Western Hemispheres

Question 63

Suppose you are standing on the standard time meridian of 75°W. Which would be the next standard time meridian to your west?

A) 76°W
B) 90°W
C) 180°W
D) 100°W
E) impossible to say

Question 64

Pluto is now classified as a

A) comet.
B) moon.
C) dwarf planet.
D) meteorite.
E) protostar.

Question 65

Which of the below takes the LONGEST time?

A) the rotation of the Earth
B) revolution of the moon
C) a solar day
D) a revolution of the Earth
E) They all take approximately the same time.

Question 66

Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain on Earth and its altitude is closest to ________ meters.

A) 90
B) 900
C) 9,000
D) 90,000
E) 900,000

Question 67

Which of the following subsystems includes all living things on Earth?

A) atmosphere
B) biosphere
C) hydrosphere
D) lithosphere
E) stratosphere

Question 68

The Milky Way is one of over ________ galaxies in the Universe.

A) one hundred
B) one thousand
C) one hundred thousand
D) one million
E) many billions

Question 69

A nebula is

A) a bright star.
B) a black hole.
C) a faded star.
D) a cloud of gas and dust.
E) none of the above

Question 70

The perihelion is during the month of

A) January.
B) March.
C) July.
D) September.
E) December.

Question 71

The surfaces of the inner planets of our solar system seem to be composed of

A) gases.
B) frozen water.
C) frozen carbon dioxide.
D) molten lava.
E) mineral matter.

Question 72

After it was part of a nebula and before it was the Sun, our Sun was a

A) star.
B) galaxy.
C) asteroid.
D) comet.
E) protostar.

Question 73

At the June solstice, day length varies from ________ hours at the Equator to ________ hours at the North Pole.

A) 0, 24
B) 12, 24
C) 12, 0
D) 24, 0
E) 24, 12

Question 74

Which of the following distances is CLOSEST TO the actual distance associated with one degree of latitude?

A) 1 km
B) 10 km
C) 100 km
D) 1,000 km
E) 10,000 km

Question 75

The Earth's polar and equatorial diameters vary by ________ percent.

A) 0
B) 0.3
C) 7.5
D) 10
E) 27

Question 76

The angular inclination of the Earth's axis with respect to a line perpendicular to the Plane of the Ecliptic

A) varies through the year.
B) is 0 degrees.
C) is 23.5 degrees.
D) is 66.5 degrees.
E) is 90 degrees.

Question 77

The line connecting the points of maximum flattening on Earth's surface is called the

A) radius.
B) Plane of the Ecliptic.
C) Equator.
D) Arctic Circle.
E) axis.

Question 78

The Earth is one of ________ planets in the solar system.

A) four
B) eight
C) twenty
D) thirty six
E) over one hundred

Question 79

The Earth rotates about its

A) great circle.
B) revolution.
C) inclination.
D) axis.
E) Equator.

Question 80

Which of the following is NOT defined by latitude?

A) parallel
B) Arctic Circle
C) Antarctic Circle
D) North Pole
E) meridian