5 A Day

•Number your paper 1-10 and wait for the questions.

Standardized test

Practice questions for Earth Science

Quarter 1 Test 1

Astronomy

As the angle of the sun in the sky increases, the temperature will:

a. Decrease

b. Increase

c. Remains the same.

1

Infrared, ultraviolet, and visible light are all part of the electromagnetic spectrum. How do they differ?

a. Wavelength

b. Intensity of speed

c. Speed

d. Direction of vibration 2

Earth receives visible light from the sun. What type of radiation does

earth give off? a. Earth’s radiation is visible from space.b. Earth’s radiation cannot travel through

space.c. Earth gives off more energy per second

than the sun.D Earth’s radiation is not visible to our

eyes. 3

Fusion is: a. Lighter elements becoming heavier

elements.b. Heavier elements becoming lighter

elements.c. Produces no energy.d. Produces only a very small amount of

energy. 4

Put these items in order from the smallest to the largest.

• A. Star, planet, galaxy, universe

• B. Planet, star, galaxy, universe

• C. Universe, galaxy, star, planet

• D. Planet, galaxy, star, universe.

5

Scientists believe our solar system formed how long ago?

• A. 460,000 year ago.

• B. 4.6 million years ago

• C. 4.6 billion years ago.

• D. 46 billion years ago.

6

If the oldest Earth rocks are only 3.5 Billion years old, how do we obtain samples of older

rocks?• A. By digging in the center of continents.

• B. By digging on the ocean floor.

• C. From meteorite impacts.

• D. From stars other than our own.7

The moon changing position against a background of stars demonstrates:

•A. The stars are moving faster than the moon

•B. The moon is moving faster than the stars.

•C. The moon is much closer to us than the stars are.

•D. The stars are much closer to us than the moon is. 8

Edwin Hubble demonstrated that most all galaxies are moving away

from us by observing• A. Their shift toward the red side of the

spectrum. (redshift)

• B. Their shift toward the blue side of the spectrum. (blueshift)

• C. They appeared to get smaller each day.

• D. They are getting brighter every minute.

9

Earth in January

Earth in July

By looking at distant stars at different times in our orbit, we can measure how far away they are. This is called:

•A. Neodymenium

•B. Precession

•C. Stellar Parallax

•D. Differentiation 10

5 A Day #1

•Number your paper 11-20 and wait for the questions.

Our Sun

The H-R Diagram shows that our sun is:

• A. Hotter than most stars.• B. About average in regards to

temperature.• C. Cooler than most stars.• D. Is not part of the H-R

diagram.11

Our Sun

• A. Smaller than most all stars• B. An average sized star.• C. Bigger than most stars.• D. The biggest star that there

is.

The H-R Diagram shows that our sun is:

12

According to the H-R diagram as you go toward the top left corner, the stars

get:• A. Bigger.

• B. Hotter.

• C. Brighter.

• D. All of the above.

13

This picture shows the spectra from different stars. What does

this tell us?• A. All stars are made of the same

materials.• B. We can detect what a star is made of

by looking at it’s spectra.• C. These stars are all ready to supernova.• D. Spectra really doesn’t show us

anything. 14

What does this show about fusion?

• A. Lighter elements fuse into heavier elements.

• B. Heavier elements fuse into lighter elements.

• C. No fusion takes place in stars.• D. Fusion releases very little energy.

4 X = 1

15

Why is the moon covered with impact craters and Earth is not?• A. The moon has a great deal of erosion.

• B. The Earth has much more erosion than the moon and the craters are worn away.

• C. The moon gets hit and Earth does not.

• D. The moon is older than the Earth and therefore has been hit more.

16

This layer of the element Iridium which is found worldwide at the K-T boundary, is believed to prove what?•A. For a short period it rained liquid Iridium.

•B. 65 MYA an iridium rich asteroid impacted with Earth and killed 90% of the life.

•C. The Earth has a great deal of naturally occurring Iridium.

•D. Iridium was placed there by cavemen.17

Craters on Earth are proof that:

•A. Early man was a digger.

•B. Earth can suffer from super-massive sink holes.

•C. Earth has been hit by objects from space.

•D. Lakes naturally erode away the land they occupy. 18

What is the name of the galaxy our solar system is located in?

• A. the universe

• B the Milky Way

• C the Andromeda

• D supernova.

19

Where is the solar system located in the Milky Way

Galaxy?• A. in the center• B at the outer

edge• C below the

galaxy• D outside of

the Milky Way galaxy 20

5 A Day•Number your paper 21-30 and wait for the questions.

What type of galaxy is the Milky Way?

• A. Spiral

• B. Elliptical

• C Irregular

• D Square

21

How big is the Milky Way galaxy?

• A. 100,000 km across

• B. 100 million km across

• C. 10 light years across

• D. 100,000 light years across

22

What is the average number of stars found in a galaxy?

• A. 1 million

• B. 100 million

• C. 1 billion

• D. Over 100 billion.

1 billion oranges can fill one stadium to the brim.

23

What celestial object makes up almost all of the visible mass in

the universe?

• A. Planets

• B. Stars

• C. Asteriods

• D. Comets

24

What are the three types of galaxies?

• A. Spiral, elliptical, and irregular

• B. Oval, round, and disc shaped

• C. Elliptical, oval, and disc shaped

• D. Irregular, oval, and circular

25

What is nuclear fusion?

• A. The process of combining lighter elements (hydrogen) to make heavier elements (helium).

• B. The process of reducing heavier elements (helium) to make lighter elements (hydrogen).

• C. The process of splitting atoms. 26

What are the two most abundant gases in the universe?

• A. Hydrogen and Helium

• B. Oxygen and Nitrogen

• C. Carbon Dioxide and Neon

• D. Oxygen and Hydrogen

27

Our sun produces energy by fusing hydrogen into what?

• A. Neon• B. Carbon• C. Helium• D. H2O

28

Only 3 elements can form without the energy from stellar fusion.

They are Hydrogen, Helium and what other element ?

• A. Lithium

• B. Xenon

• C. Argon

• D. Iron

29

What does this diagram represent?

• A. Stars do not change.

• B. Some stars will grow old and some will not.

• C. Stars go through a life cycle in which they change.

• D. Every star ends with a black hole.

30

5 A Day•Number your paper 31-39 and answer the questions.

Changes in the Earth’s orbit would have the greatest effect on Earth’s:

• A. shape

• B. rotation

• C. temperature

• D. tilt31

• All stars are formed from clouds of gas, dust, and ice. What are these clouds called?

• A. Stellar Nebulae

• B. Spinning disks

• C. Protostars

• D. Galactic clouds32

The life cycle, temperature, and gravity of a star is determined

by what?

• A. The size of the star.

• B. The shape of the star.

• C. The type of hydrogen it burns.

• D. The number of planets around a star.

33

What happens at the end of a blue stars life cycle that is 20

times the size of our sun?• A. It explodes and either become a black hole

or neutron star.

• B. It loses its outer layer and becomes a white dwarf.

• C. It becomes a main sequence star.

• D. It shrinks in size and becomes a yellow star. 34

What is this diagram called?

35

a. The Sequence diagram.

b. The H-R Diagram

c. The Solar Array

d. The Star-O-Gram

• The H-R diagram shows what properties of a star?

• A. The mass, luminosity, absolute magnitude, and temperature.

• B. The type of life the star has.

• C. How far away a star is from us.• D. How many stars are in a galaxy.

36

According to the H-R diagram about 90 percent of all stars are?

• A. Main sequence stars that fall along a broad strip that runs diagonally from the upper-left corner to the lower-right corner.

• B. Supergiants that are very large and bright.• C. White dwarfs that are small and dim.• D. Supernovae that explode violently.

37

What is the population

likely to be in 2010?

• A. 8 million

• B. 20 million

• C. 32 million

• D. 200 million

Year Population

1960 1 million

1970 2 million

1980 4 million

1990 8 million

2000 16 million

38

A hypothesis is merely a Scientists guess but a theory is based upon:

• A. A more experienced Scientist guess.

• B. Data that supports a hypothesis.

• C. Anything that Albert Einstein ever said.

• D. Accepted by Science as a whole to be the absolute truth.

39

5 A Day•Number your paper 1-10 and wait for the questions.

Test 2Geology

People living along or near California’s San Andreas Fault

experience:

• A. Explosive volcanoes

• B. Frequent Tsunamis

• C. Earthquakes

• D. Subduction zones1

What percentage of California’s water is used for agriculture?

• A 3%

• B 7%

• C 30 %

• D 20 %

• E 32 %2

Which of the following Geologic events is not important to

California’s economy?• A agriculture• B oil and natural gas• C gold through uplifted

mountains• D Tobacco Production.

3

Study the Average Annual Precipitation Map of California and answer this question.

• Which part of California receives the most precipitation?

• A. Northern part of California.

• B. The Central Valley.

• C. Southern part of California.

• D All regions in California receive the same amount of precipitation.

4

What are canals and aqueducts in California used for?

• A. To transport water from the wet northern region to drier region in the south.

• B. To transport oil and manufacture goods by ships.

• C. Rich Californians to sailboat in.

5

How is gold in California naturally brought to the surface?

• A. Through two tectonic plates moving away from one another.

• B. Through two plates moving into each other causing the plates to fold and mountain uplifts.

• C. None of the above because gold is never a natural resource in California.

6

Where is natural gas and oil found in California?

• A. Along the Eastern Nevada Mountain range.

• B. Along the coastline and the Central Valley.

• C. Anywhere there is igneous rock found.

7

The theory of _____ states that continents moved to their

present positions a. Subduction

b. Sea Floor spreading

c. Continental Drift

d. Erosion8

• 2. What is the elevation at location indicated by the arrow?

a. 3,700 Meters

b. 2,500 Meters

c. 2,700 Meters

d. 2,900 Meters

e. 15, 672 Meters

9

The intensity or damage caused by an earthquake is measured

using what scale?• A. Richter Scale

• B. Modified Mercalli

• C. Moment Magnitude

• D. All of the above

10

5 A Day•Number your paper 11-20 and answer the questions.

What is the scale most widely used to measure earthquakes?

• A. Van de Graph scale

• B. Richter scale

• C. Bernoulli scale

• D. Moment Magnitude

11

_______ of iron in rocks supports the theory of

seafloor spreading.

a. Plate movement

b. Subductions

c. Magnetic Alignment

d. Weathering12

The Hawaiian Islands are formed from this type of volcano?

• A. composite• B. shield• C. cinder cone• D. none of the above

13

The alternating layers of lava flows and pyroclastic indicate that this is a

• A. violent, explosive volcano known as a composite volcano.

• B. non-explosive, lava producing volcano known as a shield volcano.

• C. violent volcano known as a shield.

• D. None of the above14

Which of the following is a geographic example of a

transform fault boundary?

a. The East African Rift Valley

b. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge

c. The San Andreas Fault

d. The Mariana Trench 15

Which of the following results when divergence occurs within

the oceanic lithosphere?a. Seafloor spreading

b. A rift valley

c. A volcano chain

d. A mountain range 16

What forms when one oceanic plate is forced beneath another

plate?

a. An ocean basin

b. Ocean ridges

c. A subduction zone

d. A rift valley 17

Which of the following is NOT true about landslides?

a. Landslides are not a hazard in California.

b. Incline areas with little or no vegetation are susceptible to landslides.

c. Gravity is the driving force behind all landslides.

d. Landslides are always down slope.18

Seafloor spreading occurs at _______.

a. Transform Faults

b. Divergent Boundaries

c. Convergent Boundaries

d. Hot spots

19

The Glomar Explorer took core samples from the mid-Atlantic ridge.

They found that:• A. The entire Atlantic ocean floor is flat.

• B. The closer the crew sampled to the mid-Atlantic ridge, the younger the rocks dated.

• C. The farther the crew sampled from the mid-Atlantic ridge, the older the rocks dated.

• D. Both B and C.

• E. None of the above.20

5 A Day•Number your paper 21-30 and answer the questions.

This depth chart shows

that the floor of the

Atlantic Ocean is:

• A. All the same depth. B. Is all at a depth of 5,300 Meters or deeper.

• C. Varies in depth with an underwater mountain range at the middle of the Atlantic.

• D. Is no deeper than 200 Meters.21

Most mountain ranges, earthquakes and volcanoes occur

at _______.

a. Divergent boundaries

b. Convergent boundaries

c. Mid-ocean ridges

d. Hot spots

22

What is the main driving force behind plate tectonics?

a. Electromagnetic wavesb. Convection currents caused by

Earth’s internal heat engine.c. Sub-terrarium life formsd. Conduction of heat into the

Earth’s crust. 23

A transform fault occurs when ___________.

a. One plate collides with another plate.

b. One plate sinks below another plate.

c. One plate moves away from another plate.

d. One plate slides past another plate.24

The three types of rock are igneous, ______ and _______.

a. Magma, lava

b. Metamorphic, sedimentary

c. Intrusive, extrusive

d. Crystal, mineral

25

What causes earthquakes to occur on earth?

a. Our motion around the Sun

b. The tidal forces of the ocean.

c. Underground people who are digging their way up to the surface.

d. The motion of the tectonic plates as they move past each other.

26

The Moment Magnitude scale is used to measure what type of

activity?a. The hardness of a mineralb. The temperature outsidec. The intensity or magnitude of an

earthquaked. The length or width of an object.

27

Shield volcanoes usually have what type of appearance and eruption?

a. Gentle sloping sides, with quiet eruptions and “oozing” lava.

b. Gentle sloping sides, with explosive eruptions and fiery ash.

c. Steep sides, with quiet eruptions and “oozing” lava.

d. Steep sides, with explosive eruptions and fiery ash.

28

Composite volcanoes usually have what type of appearance and

eruption?a. Gentle sloping sides, with quiet eruptions

and “oozing” lava.b. Gentle sloping sides, with explosive

eruptions and fiery ash.c. Steep sides, with quiet eruptions and

“oozing” lava.d. Steep sides, with explosive eruptions and

fiery ash.29

What type of volcano is

shown here?a. Composite

Volcano

b. Cinder cone Volcano

c. Shield Volcano

d. Sword Volcano30

5 A Day•Number your paper 31-38 and answer the questions.

a. Shield Volcanob. Composite

Volcanoc. Cinder Cone

Volcanod. Sword Volcano

What type of volcano does this lava come from?

31

What does this video show?

a. The theory of plate tectonics

b. The existence of a super-continent named Pangea.

c. The continents moved to different locations on the earth over time.

d. All of the above.32

What does this diagram

represent?a. The stripes on a

zebrab. The ocean bottom is

only black and white.c. The magnetic

patterns on the ocean floor showing the reversal of the poles.

d. The farther you go away from the ridge, the younger the rock.

33

Which of these is not a hazard to California?

A active faults/earthquakesB land/mud slidesC hurricanesD erosion of coastal cliffs

34

What is radioactive decay?

a. Lighter elements combine to make heavier elements and energy is released.

b. Heavier elements break down into lighter elements and energy is released.

c. Lighter elements combine to make heavier elements and no energy is conserved.

d. Heavier elements break down into lighter elements and no energy is conserved.

35

Scientists believe Earth’s core is Iron

because:

• A. Iron is heavy and would have settled to the center.

• B. Iron is light and would have floated to the top.

• C. Iron is easily melted and is present in lava.

36

True or False

• When an accepted scientific theory is tested and observed to be false, the theory should be tested again. If, after future testing, the results show it to be false it should be disregarded.

37

By studying the layers of the Grand Canyon, scientist can explain about

the history of the Earth through?

• A. Investigation and Experimentation

• B. Hypothesis

• C. Theories

• D. None of the above.

38

5 A Day•Number your paper 1-10 and answer the questions.

Test 3

Earth’s Energy

Where does the major part the energy we use here on Earth

come from?

a. The core of the Earth

b. The asthenosphere

c. The Andromeda galaxy

d. Incoming electromagnetic radiation from the sun.

1

Energy from Earth’s core does not reach the surface by

a.convection

b.conduction

c. radiation

d. evaporation 2

What method of energy transfer requires no medium for transfer?

a. conduction

b. convection

c. advection

d. radiation 3

Conduction is:

a. The transfer of heat through contact.

b. The transfer of heat by density currents within a fluid.

c. The transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves.

4

Radiation is:

a. The transfer of heat through contact.

b. The transfer of heat by density currents within a fluid.

c. The transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves.

5

Convection is:

a. The transfer of heat through contact.

b. The transfer of heat by density currents within a fluid.

c. The transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves.

6

What is the best angle for solar panels to collect sunlight in regards to the

Sun?

a 30 degreesb.      45 degreesc.     60 degreesd. 90 degrees

7

Ocean currents are caused by:

a. Convection currents caused by the suns uneven heating the oceans surface.

b. Boats

c. Whales

d. The pull of the moon and the rise and fall of the tides.

8

The curved pattern of surface currents in the North Atlantic is most effected

by; a. Earth’s rotation

b. Convection in the Earth’s mantle

c. Density differences of ocean water

d. Gravitational attraction of the moon.

9

Which statement is the best example of heat energy transfer by conduction?

a. Heat energy is transferred from the bottom to the top of a lake.

b. Heat energy is transferred from the surface soil to the rocks below.

c. Heat energy is transferred from Earth’s surface to the upper atmosphere.

d. Heat energy is transferred from the sun to Earth.

10

5 A Day•Number your paper 11-20 and answer the questions.

On a foggy winter day in Fresno, why is it warmer on the mountain tops?

a. Temperature inversion.

b. The fog acts as a warming blanket.

c. There is more wind on the mountain top.

d. Warming due to Roches limit.

11

Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and nitrogen oxide pollutants are responsible for what atmospheric

condition? a. Thunder and lightning.

b. The aurora borealis

c. Rainbows

d. The greenhouse effect. 12

How do clouds affect the temperature at the Earth’s surface?

a. Clouds block sunlight during the day and prevent heat from escaping at night.

b. Clouds block sunlight during the day and allow heat to escape at night.

c. Clouds allow sunlight to reach the Earth during the day and prevent heat from escaping at night.

d. Clouds allow sunlight to reach the Earth during the day and allow heat to escape at night.

13

Where are most of Earth’s deserts found?

a. At 60 degrees North.

b. In Africa.

c. At the equator.

d. 30 degrees North & South. 14

Atmospheric pressure is a result of what property of air?

• A. volume

• B. temperature

• C. transparency

• D. weight

15

Which of the following processes adds both matter and energy to the atmosphere?

• A. condensation

• B. precipitation

• C. evaporation

• D. deposition

16

Which change would cause more water to evaporate from a lake?• A. a decrease in wind velocity.

• B. a decrease in the strength of sunlight.

• C. an increase in the air temperature.

• D. an increase in the relative humidity.

17

An area’s average weather over 30 years of time is called?

• A. season

• B. climate

• C. temperature

• D. temperate zone

18

Which statement is correct concerning the Ice Ages?

• A. There has been only one ice age.

• B. all were of equal duration.

• C. the last one wiped out all living things.

• D. There have been many different ice ages.

19

Which side of the mountain would be a desert?

• A. The windward side.

• B. The leeward side.

• C. The top of the mountain.

• D. No desert exists in this picture.20

5 A Day•Number your paper 21-30 and answer the questions.

Which greenhouse gas is most associated with global warming?

• A. methane

• B. ozone

• C. carbon dioxide

• D. carbon monoxide

21

Which of the following is NOT a natural cause of long term climatic change?• A. solar activity• B. industrialization• C. changes in the tilt of the

Earth’s axis• D. changes in the Earth’s

rotation22

Which of the following is an example of a long-term climatic change?

•A. fall•B. summer•C. ice ages•D. El Nino

23

Where are most of the rainforests found?

a. At the North Pole.

b. At the South Pole.

c. At the equator.

d. At mid-latitude.

24

What happens to incoming solar radiation?

a. It is absorbed by Earth

b. It is reflected back into space.

c. It is used by plants for photosynthesis.

d. All of the above.

25

During which process of energy exchange does cold air displace

warmer air? a.absorptionb.convectionc.conductiond. radiation

26

What is the greenhouse effect? a. Planting crops in the winter.

b. Greenhouse gasses cause the suns heat to be trapped within our atmosphere.

c. The mass clearing of the tropical rain forest.

27

The cause of winds on Earth is:

a. The Biomass becoming unstable.b. The greenhouse effect.c. The rotation of the Earth upon its

axis.d. The difference in pressure caused by

the uneven heating of the Earth’s surface.

28

The winds do not blow in a straight line from high pressure to low pressure

because

• a.       Paleozoic force

• b.      Coriolis effect

• c.       Gravitational force

• d Magnetic force 29

The Coriolis effect would be changed the most by a change in Earth’s

• a.      rate of rotation

• b.      rate of revolution

• c.      angle of tilt

• d surface temperature 30

5 A Day•Number your paper 31-39 and answer the questions.

A major influence on climate is

a. large body of water.

b. craters

c. moonlight

d. Solar wind

31

Major ocean and air currents appear to curve to the right in the Northern

Hemisphere because

• a.       Earth has seasons.• b.      Earth’s axis is tilted• c.       Earth rotates on its axis.• d. Earth revolves around the

sun. 32

What is the main difference between each layer of the oceans?

a. Salinity

b.Temperature

c. None of the above.

d.Both a and b.33

The most common substance in sea water is:

A sodium and chloride

B sodium and magnesium

C sulfates

D fish34

Sea water comes from the depths to the surface in a(n)

• A density current

• B surface current

• C upwelling

• D breaker

35

Surface currents move water

• A perpendicular to Earth’s surface• B parallel to the Earth’s surface• C from the ocean floor to the

surface• D that is more dense to areas of

less dense water

36

Using the graph, from 1960 to 2000, what has happened to the

CO2 levels on Earth?a. The CO2 levels have decreased.b. The CO2 levels have remained the

same.c. The CO2 levels have increased, then

leveled out.d. The CO2 levels have increased over

the years.37

• 1. Why are models useful to scientists when making predictions?a. Because they are pretty.

b. Because once something has been modeled it is known to be correct.

c. Observations of systems that are too large or too small to see with the naked eye can be made.

38

When calculating density you need to measure the mass and volume of an object. Which tools would you need to measure the density of a

cube? a. Ruler and Calculator

b. Thermometer and ruler

c. Balance (scale) and ruler

d. String and weights 39

5 A Day•Number your paper 1-10 and answer the questions.

Test 4Biogeochemical

Cycles

Carbon moves through our environment as different forms. Which

following statement DOES NOT correctly identify this movement?

• A. Coal and oil is burned releasing carbon into the atmosphere.

• B. CO2 in the atmosphere is converted into energy

by plants. (Photosynthesis)

• C. Animals convert carbon to oxygen.

• D. Bacteria and fungi convert organic compounds into CO2. 1

• 2.  Which element could be called the "currency for energy exchange in living systems"?a. Nitrogenb. Oxygenc. Carbon

d. Sulfur

2

What does this equation represent? +Sunlight

6CO2 + 6H2O C6H12O6 + 6O2

a. Respirationb. Photosynthesisc. Nitrogen fixingd. Oxidation

3

True or false

• An animal was born in the forest, lived there its entire life. It ate the food that was provided by the sun and soil to grow. When it died the decomposed remains were returned to the Earth.

4

How do plants make their own food?

a. Energy is gathered from soil.b. Energy is obtained from fertilizers or

plant food.c. Energy is obtained from the sun

through photosynthesis.d. Energy is not necessary for plant

growth. 5

The process of photosynthesis transforms

atmospheric carbons into organic carbons called

• A. salts• B. gases• C. sugars• D. none of the above

6

Carbon stored in the bodies of plants and animals that died millions of years ago is released into the atmosphere when which of the following is burned?a. coalb. oilc. natural gasd. all the above 7

8

Which is not true about the nitrogen cycle? a. animals get nitrogen by eating plants or other animals.b. plants generate nitrogen in their roots. c. nitrogen moves back and forth between the atmosphere and living things.d. decomposers break down waste to yield ammonia.

A scientist observing light given off by a star discovers that this star emits a kind of starlight never before observed by other scientists. Which of the following reactions would NOT be good science?

• A. He contacts other astronomers to help him observe and understand this unusual star.

• B. He extends his idea of what a star is to include this newly discovered object.

• C. He changes his observations to conform to what he has learn from textbooks.

• D. He repeats his observations to be sure that he has not made some kind of error.

9

Based on the data table, which is the general relationship between population and concentration of dust particles?

• A. Inverse relationship, as one increases the other decreases.

• B. Direct relationship, as one increases so does the other.

• C. No relationship, one does not affect the other.

• D. None of the above.

Population (millions) Dust Particles/meter3

Less than 0.7 110

Between 0.7 and 1.0 150

Greater than 1.0 190

10