Chapter 8 Quiz

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

____ 1. The elements of Earth are separated such that the

a. most dense elements are in the center, called the mantle.
b. most dense elements are at the surface, called the crust.
c. least dense elements are at the surface, called the mantle.
d. most dense elements are in the center, called the core.
e. least dense elements are in the center, called the core.
____ 2. The Earth is about ____ billion years old.
a. 1.6
b. 2.6
c. 3.6
d. 4.6
e. 8.6
____ 3. The lithosphere includes
a. part of the core.
b. all of the crust.
c. the entire mantle.
d. all of the core.
e. both a and c.
____ 4. Magma circulates in convection cells in the
a. crust.
b. asthenosphere.
c. core.
d. lithosphere.
e. mid-ocean ridge.
____ 5. Alfred Wegeners evidence for claiming that the continents have not always been positioned where they are
today is found in
a. fossils in Antarctica matching fossils in Greenland.
b. rock formations in sequences that match on opposite sides of the Atlantic.
c. fossils of animals that are mixed up from their original positions.
d. the presence of mammalian fossils in both South America and Africa.
e. all of these answers are correct.

2012 W. H. Freeman/BFW Publishers Chapter 8

 Figure 8-1

____ 6. Use Figure 8-1. A subduction zone is shown at

a. point A.
b. point B.
c. point C.
d. point D.
e. point E.
____ 7. Use Figure 8-1. New ocean floor is created at
a. point A.
b. point B.
c. point C.
d. point D.
e. point E.
____ 8. The European continent and North America are moving away from each other at a rate of 36 mm/year. Which
answer most closely approximates how much farther apart the continents were in 2010 than when Christopher
Columbus crossed the Atlantic in 1492?
a. 0.02 km
b. 0.2 km
c. 180,000 mm
d. 1800 mm
e. 1.8 cm
____ 9. A geologist finds a substance with uniform crystalline structure and composition throughout. In the lab it is
determined that the substance consists of more than one element. The term which properly identifies the
substance is
a. soil.
b. rock.
c. mineral.
d. gold.
e. crystal.

2012 W. H. Freeman/BFW Publishers Chapter 8

____ 10. Select the correct rock type connected with its mode of origin.
a. Igneous-liquid magma.
b. Sedimentary-exposure to high temperatures and pressures.
c. Metamorphic-compression of mud by overlying sediments.
d. Sedimentary-compression of magma.
e. All of the above are correct.
____ 11. Granitic rock is the dominant rock type in
a. oceanic crust.
b. continental crust.
c. at subduction zones.
d. at areas where seafloor spreading is taking place.
e. in the Hawaiian Islands.
____ 12. Fossils, formed from plant or animal remains, are found in
I. sedimentary rock
II. metamorphic rock
III. igneous rock
a. I only.
b. II only
c. III only.
d. I and III.
e. II and III.
____ 13. Metamorphic rocks
a. can only be formed from rocks that originate from magmatic melt.
b. have been subjected to high heat and pressure.
c. can result from exposure to tectonic forces.
d. include marble and slate.
e. both b and d.
____ 14. Plant roots cause
a. only physical weathering.
b. only chemical weathering.
c. both physical and chemical weathering.
d. neither chemical or physical weathering.
e. only erosion.
____ 15. Which of the following chemical reactions are involved in the creation of acid rain?
I. sulfur dioxide and water vapor combine to create sulfuric acid
II. hydrogen and chlorine combine to create hydrochloric acid
III. sulfur and oxygen combine to create sulfur dioxide
a. I only
b. II only
c. III only
d. I and II
e. I and III

2012 W. H. Freeman/BFW Publishers Chapter 8

 Figure 8-2

____ 16. Use Figure 8-2. Which horizon is known to have organic matter or humus?
a. O horizon.
b. A horizon.
c. B horizon.
d. C horizon.
e. None of the Above
____ 17. Use Figure 8-2. Which hozizon is often the least eroded and commonly called the parent rock?
a. O horizon.
b. A horizon.
c. B horizon.
d. C horizon.
e. Both B and C horizon
____ 18. Topsoil is the
a. O horizon.
b. A horizon.
c. B horizon.
d. C horizon.
e. parent material.
____ 19. Select the correct order of physical size of sediment particles from largest to smallest.
a. sand-silt-clay
b. silt-sand-clay
c. loam-silt-clay
d. loam-sand-silt
e. clay-silt-sand

2012 W. H. Freeman/BFW Publishers Chapter 8

____ 20. The porosity of soil is a measure of
a. its cation exchange capacity.
b. how deep its topsoil layer is.
c. how much biological material it contains.
d. how quickly it drains.
e. none of these answers are correct.
____ 21. The soil that is best for growing most plants is composed of
a. clay, because it retains nutrients and water tightly.
b. sand, because water drains most easily.
c. silt, because it is a medium sized particle.
d. a mixture of sand to drain well and clay to hold nutrients.
e. a mixture of sand, silt, and clay that promotes water drainage and retention.

Figure 8-3

____ 22. Use Figure 8-3. Using the soil triangle above, what is the percentage of sand, silt, and clay at Point A?
a. 40% sand, 20% silt, 40% clay
b. 40% sand, 30% silt, 10% clay
c. 30% sand, 40% silt, 30% clay
d. 40% sand, 40% silt, 20% clay
e. 35% sand, 35% silt, 30% clay

2012 W. H. Freeman/BFW Publishers Chapter 8

____ 23. The infiltration of pollutants into groundwater
a. is rare in areas with sandy soils because water flows through them easily.
b. is common in areas with clay soils because water flows through them easily.
c. Is most likely in geologic regions with basaltic bedrock.
d. is common in areas with sandy soils because water flows through them easily.
e. is impossible in areas that were at one time connected with an ocean.
____ 24. A good liner for a landfill is made of
a. clay
b. sand
c. silt
d. basalt
e. loam
____ 25. Base saturation of the soil is a measure of the
a. ability of water to drain.
b. ability of nutrients to adhere to clay particles.
c. proportion of soil bases to acids.
d. particulate matter in lakes.
e. Percentage of water to particles in a sample.
____ 26. Soil degradation is caused by
a. Compaction by the use of heavy machinery.
b. burrowing animals such as earthworms.
c. nitrogen fixing bacteria.
d. pesticides.
e. All of the above.
____ 27. The crustal abundance of four elements makes up greater than 88% of the earths crust. These elements are
a. gold, copper, nickel, silicon.
b. Oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron.
c. Oxygen, gold, aluminum, iron.
d. Oxygen, silicon, nickel, iron
e. Nitrogen, silicon, aluminum, iron.
____ 28. Strip mining
a. is a form of subsurface mining in which strips of soil and rock are removed to expose
ore.
b. is a form of surface mining in which strips of soil and rock are removed to expose ore.
c. refers to both surface and subsurface mining.
d. Is the most dangerous form of mining for the miners.
e. Is not practiced in the U.S.
____ 29. Environmental problems associated with mining involve
a. use of mercury.
b. damage to streams.
c. soil erosion.
d. habitat fragmentation and destruction.
e. all of these answers are correct.
____ 30. The legislation that mandates that land should be minimally disturbed during the mining process and
reclaimed after mining is completed is called the

2012 W. H. Freeman/BFW Publishers Chapter 8

a. Mining Law of 1872.
b. General Mining Act.
c. Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977.
d. Surface Mining Act of 1987.
e. General Surface Mining Act of 1998.

2012 W. H. Freeman/BFW Publishers Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Quiz
Answer Section

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Fact based

2. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Fact based
3. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Concept based
4. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: M MSC: Fact based
5. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: M MSC: Concept based
6. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Definitional
7. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Fact based
8. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: D MSC: Analytical thinking
9. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: M MSC: Definitional
10. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: M MSC: Definitional
11. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Fact based
12. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Fact based
13. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: M MSC: Concept based
14. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: M MSC: Fact based
15. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: M MSC: Concept based
16. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Definitional
17. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Definitional
18. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Definitional
19. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Fact based
20. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Fact based
21. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: M MSC: Concept based
22. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Analytical thinking
23. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: M MSC: Critical thinking
24. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: M MSC: Fact based
25. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Concept based
26. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Concept based
27. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: M MSC: Fact based
28. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: M MSC: Definitional
29. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: E MSC: Concept based
30. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: M MSC: Fact based

2012 W. H. Freeman/BFW Publishers Chapter 8