End of Course: Earth Science (2002 VDOE Released Items)

Igneous rocks are formed by--
1. heat and pressure on existing rocks
2. evaporation of water, leaving solids behind
3. cooling and hardening of molten rock
4. layers of mud on the bottom of a lake
What is the main advantage of using dams to produce electrical energy?
1. They can be built near most cities.
2. They do not produce much pollution.
3. They are inexpensive to build.
4. They do not damage wildlife homes.
1. Water any container in which the soil feels dry
2. Water all of the containers the same amount at the same time
3. Water any of the plants that seem to be growing more slowly than the others
4. Water the plants in compacted soil more than those in uncompacted soil
Which planet is often called "Earth's twin" because it is similar in mass and diameter to the Earth?
1. Mars
2. Mercury
3. Venus
4. Pluto
1. the heat rising from the inner core is melting the outer core
2. there is more water in the outer core and it dilutes the materials
3. the outer core is farther from the center, and there is less gravity holding it together
4. the pressure from all of Earth's layers keeps it in a solid state
A light-year measures--
1. brightness
2. distance
3. radiation
4. time
Which vertebrate did not live during the time of the dinosaurs (the Mesozoic Era)?
Land breezes and sea breezes are created by the differences in--
1. the Earth's tilt on its axis
2. solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface
3. the heat capacity between water and land
4. the living organisms occurring in the land and sea
Which of the following minerals found in the northern Piedmont province is known as "fool's gold"?
1. Pyrite
2. Hematite
3. Galena
4. Limonite
1. cold air moving in the direction the triangles point
2. cold air moving opposite the direction the triangles point
3. warm air moving in the direction the triangles point
4. warm air moving opposite the direction the triangles point
1. Laser beams
2. Doppler radar
3. Sonar
4. Seismology
Which diagram correctly shows wind motion between pressure areas?
During droughts, lack of rain can lead to wells drying up. This is because the drought has lowered the--
1. water table
2. water trough
3. zone of aeration
4. zone of porosity
Which of these is the best evidence that the Earth's crust has undergone some major changes?
1. The location of major rivers
2. The amount of available water on Earth
3. The presence of marine fossils in mountain rock
4. The arrival of the vernal equinox
1. 5,700 years
2. 11,400 years
3. 17,100 years
4. 22,800 years
1. Black hole
2. Dwarf star
3. Main-sequence star
4. Stellar nebula
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. D
Of the following, the largest division on the geologic time scale is--
1. a year
2. an epoch
3. an era
4. a period
Saturn's volume is 762 times the volume of Earth, and yet its mass is only about 95 times that of Earth's mass. This is due to Saturn's--
1. low density
2. temperature
3. thousands of rings
4. distance from the sun
When placed in water, ice rises to the top of the liquid. Unlike most solids that sink when placed in their liquid forms, ice floats because--
1. it is colder than water
2. it is less dense than water
3. the pressure of the water holds it up
4. gases inside the ice make it buoyant
1. tension
2. shearing
3. compression
4. rifting
1. they can destroy roadways
2. tractors can fall into them
3. homes can be damaged by them
4. they can connect directly to the water table
Orbital velocity is the average speed of a planet moving through space in its orbit around the sun. Which of the following planets has the fastest orbital velocity?
1. Mercury
2. Jupiter
3. Mars
4. Pluto
1. They move along the bottom.
2. They stop moving as soon as they reach the ocean floor.
3. They are temperature-dependent.
4. They only occur in salt water.
In karst regions, caves are carved by the flow of water through limestone bedrock. How do the stalagmites and stalactites in the caves develop?
1. They are carbonate deposits formed by dripping water in air-filled cavities.
2. They are granite intrusions that remain behind after water dissolves the surrounding limestone.
3. They are crystals that grow as water hollows out the cavern.
4. They are carvings made in limestone by the swirling water as it hollows out the cavern.
1. Quartz is harder than topaz.
2. Calcite is harder than apatite.
3. Fluorite is harder than feldspar.
4. Gypsum is harder than talc.
1. Granite
2. Limestone
3. Marble
4. Shale
Ocean --> Evaporation --> Condensation
Which of these would come next in the water cycle?
1. Aeration
2. Sedimentation
3. Deposition
4. Precipitation
The edges of moving crustal plates are often defined by--
1. ocean basins
2. frequent seismic activity
3. intercontinental plains
4. Earth's largest rivers
1. Chromosphere
2. Photosphere
3. Core
4. Corona
The topographic map that may show a hill with a volcanic crater is--
1. 2 minutes
2. 3 minutes
3. 4 minutes
4. 5 minutes
The ozone layer protects life on Earth from--
1. ultraviolet rays
2. gamma rays
3. infrared rays
4. x-rays
1. 40 km
2. 300 km
3. 1200 km
4. 2100 km
All of the following features of the ocean indicate tectonic activity except--
1. abyssal plains
2. mid-ocean ridges
3. seamounts
4. trenches
Which of these causes days and nights?
1. The orbit of the Earth around the sun
2. The revolution of the moon around the Earth
3. The rotation of the moon on its axis
4. The rotation of the Earth on its axis
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
1. focus
2. epicenter
3. fault line
4. shock wave
Which of these facts is the best supporting evidence that the universe is expanding?
1. The stars vary in chemical composition.
2. The galaxies are moving away from each other.
3. The galaxies can spin to form eddies.
4. The universe is filled with galaxies of different sizes.
In which of the graphs would the precipitation at ground level most likely be rain?
Jellyfish have rarely been fossilized because they--
1. contain no carbon compounds
2. are very rare animals
3. are generally found in oceans
4. have soft bodies
Which of the landforms is most likely to result when two continents collide?
Why is the surface temperature of the oceans more variable than the water near the ocean floor?
1. Most energy is exchanged at the surface.
2. Most animals live near the surface.
3. The water is less dense at the surface.
4. The salt concentration is more variable at the surface.
1. lower layers subjected to less pressure
2. erosion of the upper layers' surfaces
3. less deformation than in the lower block
4. presence of more igneous rock in the block
More often than metamorphic or igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks have--
1. many holes from trapped gases
2. large quartz crystals
3. numerous fossils
4. a glassy appearance
Virginia has large deposits of sand and gravel. These are usually found in areas where--
1. water once flowed
2. lava once covered the ground
3. swamps once were present
4. the water table was once very low
Which of these energy sources originates from a nonrenewable resource?
1. Solar
2. Geothermal
3. Fossil fuel
4. Hydroelectric
What does Pangaea mean?
1. It is the name of an extinct volcano.
2. It is the French word for volcano.
3. It is the name of an ancient supercontinent.
4. It is a huge disruption of the Earth's atmospheric circulation.

End of Course: Earth Science (2002 VDOE Released Items)

Multiple-Choice Exercise
Content © 2002 Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education; Permission to Use Granted by VDOE; Author of Activity: Tami Maloney; All rights reserved.
No commercial, for-profit use of this material is allowed. E-mail comments and questions to Tami Maloney.

Igneous rocks are formed by--

What is the main advantage of using dams to produce electrical energy?

Which planet is often called "Earth's twin" because it is similar in mass and diameter to the Earth?

A light-year measures--

**Which vertebrate did not live during the time of the dinosaurs (the Mesozoic Era)?**

Land breezes and sea breezes are created by the differences in--

Which of the following minerals found in the northern Piedmont province is known as "fool's gold"?

Which diagram correctly shows wind motion between pressure areas?

During droughts, lack of rain can lead to wells drying up. This is because the drought has lowered the--

Which of these is the best evidence that the Earth's crust has undergone some major changes?

Of the following, the largest division on the geologic time scale is--

Saturn's volume is 762 times the volume of Earth, and yet its mass is only about 95 times that of Earth's mass. This is due to Saturn's--

When placed in water, ice rises to the top of the liquid. Unlike most solids that sink when placed in their liquid forms, ice floats because--

Orbital velocity is the average speed of a planet moving through space in its orbit around the sun. Which of the following planets has the fastest orbital velocity?

In karst regions, caves are carved by the flow of water through limestone bedrock. How do the stalagmites and stalactites in the caves develop?

Ocean --> Evaporation --> Condensation
Which of these would come next in the water cycle?

The edges of moving crustal plates are often defined by--

The topographic map that may show a hill with a volcanic crater is--

The ozone layer protects life on Earth from--

All of the following features of the ocean indicate tectonic activity except--

Which of these causes days and nights?

Which of these facts is the best supporting evidence that the universe is expanding?

**In which of the graphs would the precipitation at ground level most likely be rain?**

Jellyfish have rarely been fossilized because they--

**Which of the landforms is most likely to result when two continents collide?**

Why is the surface temperature of the oceans more variable than the water near the ocean floor?

More often than metamorphic or igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks have--

Virginia has large deposits of sand and gravel. These are usually found in areas where--

Which of these energy sources originates from a nonrenewable resource?

What does Pangaea mean?

End of Course: Earth Science (2002 VDOE Released Items)

Multiple-Choice ExerciseContent © 2002 Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education; Permission to Use Granted by VDOE; Author of Activity: Tami Maloney; All rights reserved. No commercial, for-profit use of this material is allowed. E-mail comments and questions to Tami Maloney.

Igneous rocks are formed by--

What is the main advantage of using dams to produce electrical energy?

Which planet is often called "Earth's twin" because it is similar in mass and diameter to the Earth?

A light-year measures--

Which vertebrate did not live during the time of the dinosaurs (the Mesozoic Era)?

Land breezes and sea breezes are created by the differences in--

Which of the following minerals found in the northern Piedmont province is known as "fool's gold"?

Which diagram correctly shows wind motion between pressure areas?

During droughts, lack of rain can lead to wells drying up. This is because the drought has lowered the--

Which of these is the best evidence that the Earth's crust has undergone some major changes?

Of the following, the largest division on the geologic time scale is--

Saturn's volume is 762 times the volume of Earth, and yet its mass is only about 95 times that of Earth's mass. This is due to Saturn's--

When placed in water, ice rises to the top of the liquid. Unlike most solids that sink when placed in their liquid forms, ice floats because--

Orbital velocity is the average speed of a planet moving through space in its orbit around the sun. Which of the following planets has the fastest orbital velocity?

In karst regions, caves are carved by the flow of water through limestone bedrock. How do the stalagmites and stalactites in the caves develop?

Ocean --> Evaporation --> CondensationWhich of these would come next in the water cycle?

The edges of moving crustal plates are often defined by--

The topographic map that may show a hill with a volcanic crater is--

The ozone layer protects life on Earth from--

All of the following features of the ocean indicate tectonic activity except--

Which of these causes days and nights?

Which of these facts is the best supporting evidence that the universe is expanding?

In which of the graphs would the precipitation at ground level most likely be rain?

Jellyfish have rarely been fossilized because they--

Which of the landforms is most likely to result when two continents collide?

Why is the surface temperature of the oceans more variable than the water near the ocean floor?

More often than metamorphic or igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks have--

Virginia has large deposits of sand and gravel. These are usually found in areas where--

Which of these energy sources originates from a nonrenewable resource?

What does Pangaea mean?

Multiple-Choice Exercise
Content © 2002 Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education; Permission to Use Granted by VDOE; Author of Activity: Tami Maloney; All rights reserved.
No commercial, for-profit use of this material is allowed. E-mail comments and questions to Tami Maloney.

**Which vertebrate did not live during the time of the dinosaurs (the Mesozoic Era)?**

Ocean --> Evaporation --> Condensation
Which of these would come next in the water cycle?

**In which of the graphs would the precipitation at ground level most likely be rain?**

**Which of the landforms is most likely to result when two continents collide?**