Category 1: Physical Geography
100: What imaginary lines measure distance north or south of the Equator?
Answer: Latitude.
Explanation: Latitude lines determine climate patterns by measuring distance from the Equator.
100: What is the main difference between weather and climate?
Answer: Weather is short-term; climate is long-term patterns.
Explanation: Weather changes daily, while climate describes consistent patterns over time.
100: Which process breaks rocks into smaller pieces without moving them?
Answer: Weathering.
Explanation: Weathering involves the breakdown of rock by wind, water, or temperature changes.
100: What term describes people moving from rural areas to cities?
Answer: Urbanization.
Explanation: Urbanization increases city populations as people move for jobs and services.
100: What happens when ideas or customs spread between cultures?
Answer: Cultural diffusion.
Explanation: It occurs when societies exchange beliefs, foods, and traditions.
200: What is the spinning of the Earth on its axis called?
Answer: Rotation.
Explanation: Earth’s rotation causes day and night every 24 hours.
200: Why does latitude strongly affect climate?
Answer: Different latitudes receive different angles of sunlight.
Explanation: The tilt of Earth affects how much solar energy regions receive.
200: Which process carries sediment from one place to another?
Answer: Erosion.
Explanation: Erosion moves materials through natural forces like rivers, glaciers, or wind.
200: Which factor most often leads to rapid urbanization?
Answer: Growth of jobs and services in cities.
Explanation: Economic opportunities attract people to urban centers.
200: What is an example of cultural diffusion?
Answer: A fast-food chain from one country opening in others.
Explanation: It shows how cultural practices spread through globalization.
300: What causes the different seasons on Earth?
Answer: Revolution.
Explanation: Earth’s revolution around the Sun and its tilt create seasonal changes.
300: When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, what season does it experience?
Answer: Summer.
Explanation: Tilt toward the Sun results in longer days and more direct sunlight.
300: What process adds sediment to form new land?
Answer: Deposition.
Explanation: Deposition drops material that creates new features such as deltas or sandbars.
300: What does population density measure?
Answer: The number of people living in a specific area.
Explanation: It shows how crowded or sparse a region is.
300: What defines a formal region?
Answer: Shared physical or cultural characteristics.
Explanation: Formal regions are identified by measurable traits, such as climate or language.
400: What natural process involves the movement of soil and rock from one place to another?
Answer: Erosion.
Explanation: Erosion moves weathered materials through wind, water, or ice.
400: Which process forms river deltas at the mouth of rivers?
Answer: Deposition.
Explanation: Sediment carried by rivers is dropped and builds up new landforms.
400: What often occurs near tectonic plate boundaries?
Answer: Earthquakes and volcanic activity.
Explanation: Shifting plates release energy and create surface changes at boundaries.
400: What is an example of people adapting to their environment?
Answer: Wearing warm clothing in a cold climate.
Explanation: Adaptation involves changing behavior to fit environmental conditions.
400: What does the term “cultural region” describe?
Answer: An area where people share similar cultural traits.
Explanation: Language, religion, or traditions can unify cultural regions.
500: What theory explains how Earth’s crustal plates move and cause earthquakes?
Answer: Plate tectonics.
Explanation: The shifting of tectonic plates creates landforms and triggers volcanic and seismic activity.
500: What kind of region is defined by similar temperature and precipitation patterns?
Answer: A climate zone.
Explanation: Climate zones are grouped based on consistent weather characteristics.
500: How are weathering, erosion, and deposition connected?
Answer: They work together to shape Earth’s surface.
Explanation: Weathering breaks rock, erosion moves it, and deposition builds new land.
500: What is an example of people modifying their environment?
Answer: Building levees to prevent flooding.
Explanation: Modification changes the environment to meet human needs or solve problems.
500: How does globalization affect culture?
Answer: It increases cultural blending and interconnection.
Explanation: Technology and trade allow cultural ideas to spread more rapidly across the world.