End of Course: Earth Science (2003 VDOE Released Items)

1. Spring
2. Summer
3. Autumn
4. Winter
Which of these can determine the size
of grains in igneous rocks?
1. Amount of rare minerals
2. Distance from a plate boundary
3. Size of the volcano
4. Cooling rate of molten rock
Which element in Earth's atmosphere
is essential for human life and is
extremely rare or nonexistent in the
atmospheres of other planets in our
solar system?
1. Carbon dioxide
2. Hydrogen
3. Nitrogen
4. Oxygen
Which of the following is part of a
valid process for supporting a
hypothesis?
1. Altering results
2. Single trials
3. Experimentation
4. Limited research
The numerous rocks orbiting the sun
between Jupiter and Mars are --
1. comets
2. asteroids
3. meteorites
4. satellites
What property is shared by many
gemstones, such as diamonds, rubies,
sapphires, emeralds, and topaz?
1. Extreme hardness
2. High specific gravity
3. Carbon as the primary element
4. Ductility
1. Both types are predominately pyroxene.
2. Both types are predominately olivine.
3. Achondrites contain more feldspar.
4. Achondrites contain more nickel-iron.
The density of a mineral is determined
by its mass and --
1. hardness
2. luster
3. volume
4. shape
What causes currents in the
atmosphere?
1. Ocean waves and currents
2. Pressure from the ozone layer
3. Solar heating of the upper atmosphere
4. Warm air rising and cold air sinking
1. I, II, IV, III
2. III, I, II, IV
3. II, IV, III, I
4. III, II, IV, I
The first manned-mission to land on
the moon was commanded by Neil
Armstrong and was called --
1. Apollo 11
2. Gemini 3
3. Viking 2
4. Mariner 7
The Marianas Trench in the Pacific
Ocean is 36,160 feet below sea level.
This deep oceanic trench is caused
by --
1. swift ocean currents eroding away the ocean floor
2. the collapse of an empty magma chamber in a large volcano
3. excessive boat traffic disrupting the normal sedimentation process
4. two tectonic plates colliding and one plunging below the other
The sun emits energy by converting
hydrogen into helium. What is this
process called?
1. Fusion
2. Fission
3. Sunspot formation
4. Solar wind
One part of California is on the Pacific
Plate, while the remainder of the state
is on the North American Plate. The
two plates are moving to the northwest
at different speeds, causing one plate
to slide past the other. This movement
in plates creates a --
1. normal fault
2. reverse fault
3. strike-slip fault
4. thrust fault
1. 1260 feet
2. 1280 feet
3. 1300 feet
4. 1360 feet
Which of the following is not a fossil
fuel?
1. Coal
2. Wood
3. Petroleum
4. Natural gas
Periodically, there are spectacular
meteor showers on Earth. These
showers usually occur because the
Earth's orbit passes through the
remains of --
1. a star
2. a comet
3. solar flares
4. the rings of Saturn
Which of these pictures shows the last
in the sequence of events?
Which of these is important in the
formation of clouds?
1. The relative length of day and night
2. The Coriolis effect
3. The melting of the polar ice caps
4. The cooling of air as it rises
What is usually responsible for an
earthquake?
1. Pressure buildup within the mantle
2. Slippage along faults within Earth's crust
3. Weathering along coastlines
4. Force changes from the moon pulling on Earth
When Venus passes between the Earth
and the sun, it is visible as a tiny black
dot on the sun's bright disk. Why is
Mars never visible in this same way?
1. The orbit of Mars is more eccentric than that of Venus.
2. The orbit of Mars is outside that of Earth's orbit.
3. Mars is too small to be seen against the backdrop of the sun.
4. Mars shines too brightly to be visible against the sun.
Wetlands are more prevalent in which
physiographic province of Virginia?
1. Coastal Plain
2. Piedmont
3. Blue Ridge
4. Appalachian Plateau
If the polar ice caps were to melt, all of
the following would occur except --
1. increased coastal flooding
2. increased sea level
3. decreased ocean salinity
4. decreased tidal action
Caves are found in Virginia's Valley
and Ridge province because the area is
underlain by --
1. granite
2. shale
3. gneiss
4. limestone
What is one of the major indications
that the Earth's climate has varied
over time?
1. Land forms carved by glaciers in temperate areas
2. Depletion of oxygen in lakes and rivers
3. Ocean currents
4. Magnetic reversals in layers of rock
Why does water move more slowly
through clay than through humus?
1. Clay has greater permeability.
2. Clay has very small pore spaces.
3. Clay prevents capillary attraction of water.
4. Clay reduces evaporation rates.
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
Which of the following minerals, when
in the form of sand, can be used to
manufacture glass?
1. Gypsum
2. Diamond
3. Calcite
4. Quartz
The two most common ions found in
ocean water are --
1. chloride and sodium
2. potassium and calcium
3. phosphate and nitrate
4. magnesium and sodium
If there were a slight increase in the
amount of solar energy that reached
the Earth, there would be an
immediate increase in --
1. erosion
2. evaporation
3. volcanic activity
4. groundwater flow
Scientists use volcanoes and
earthquake activity to establish --
1. plate boundaries
2. lines of latitude
3. borders between countries
4. the density of rock layers
1. Hightown Valley
2. Monterey
3. Jack Mountain
4. Bull Pasture
Which of the following properties
refers to the colored powder resulting
from rubbing a mineral against a
harder surface?
1. Hardness
2. Luster
3. Cleavage
4. Streak
Metamorphic rocks whose minerals are
arranged in layers or bands are
called --
1. unfoliated
2. nonclastic
3. clastic
4. foliated
Slate is a fairly common rock that can
be used for roofing shingles. What
property makes it most suitable for
this use?
1. It can be split into thin, flat layers.
2. It feels soft and smooth.
3. It is hard and brittle.
4. It can occur in different colors.
1. Mercury
2. Mars
3. Jupiter
4. Saturn
Heat and pressure can transform
igneous rock into metamorphic rock.
What processes can transform igneous
rock into sedimentary rock?
1. Heat and pressure
2. Rifting and subduction
3. Erosion and sedimentation
4. Evaporation and condensation
1. pyrite
2. garnet
3. magnetite
4. topaz
1. 40 millibars
2. 120 millibars
3. 200 millibars
4. 400 millibars
Which of these is most important in
determining how a rock was formed?
1. Color and shape
2. Luster and hardness
3. Composition and texture
4. Size and weight
Which of these parts of a saber-toothed
cat was most likely to become
fossilized?
1. Hair
2. Skin
3. Muscles
4. Jaws
Government programs to reduce acid
rain have resulted in cleaner emissions
from U.S. industries in recent years. As
a result, the sulfate concentration in
rainwater has declined significantly.
But the sulfate concentration in some
lakes is showing little, if any, change.
Why might this be true?
1. There is no connection between emissions from industry and the acidity of lake water.
2. The sulfate in American lakes is actually coming from industries in Europe and Asia.
3. Sulfate that accumulated earlier in the soil is still being flushed into the lakes by run-off.
4. Individual industries produce fewer emissions but the amount of precipitation has increased.
Limestone is a valuable resource in
Virginia because limestone can be
processed to make --
1. plastic
2. steel
3. concrete
4. plywood
Lightweight and strong, the metal that
has been recycled with the greatest
success is --
1. steel
2. tin
3. aluminum
4. titanium
Photographs of the surface of Mars
reveal the presence of sand dunes that
shift over time. These dunes
demonstrate the presence of what
phenomenon on Mars?
1. Precipitation
2. Winds
3. Magnetic pole reversals
4. Plate tectonics
Which planet in the solar system has
an orbit so eccentric that it crosses the
orbit of another planet?
1. Mars
2. Mercury
3. Jupiter
4. Pluto
1. Allegheny Mountains
2. Chesapeake Bay
3. James River
4. Taconic Highlands

End of Course: Earth Science (2003 VDOE Released Items)

Multiple-Choice ExerciseContent © 2003 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.

Multiple-Choice Exercise
Content © 2003 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.