Suppose you find an interesting mineral, but you do not know what it is. Name the six properties that could help you identify the mineral.
Hardness, Luster, Shape, Streak, Color, and Magnetism.
100
What is the slow process that breaks rocks into smaller pieces called sediments?
Weathering
100
Where do mountains form, earthquakes occur, and volcanoes erupt?
Where plates meet.
100
What is the difference between renewable resources and nonrenewable resources?
Renewable resources are resources that can be replaced like wood, leaves, food wastes, etc. Nonrenewable resources cannot be replaced at all or cannot be replaced as fast as people use them- like fossil fuels and nuclear energy.
200
______________is the process in which rocks are constantly being formed and destroyed.
The rock cycle.
200
How do determine the streak of a mineral?
Rub the mineral on a rough, hard, white surface.
200
Which soil layer has the greatest amount of decayed material in it?
Topsoil
200
What happens when plates jerk into a new position?
An earthquake
200
Give an example of a natural pollutant.
Volcanic ash
300
What is a pollutant?
A pollutant is an unwanted substance added to the land, water, or air.
300
Name at least 2 ways people can use minerals.
(Answers may vary) People can use minerals for jewelry, machine parts, medicines, and building materials.
300
Name three types of soil.
Clay, silt, and sand.
300
What are destructive forces? Give an example of one.
A destructive force is a force that wears away or tears down features on Earth's surface.
One possible example: Earthquake
300
What are some problems polluted air can cause?
Difficulty breathing, health problems, and harm to organisms.
400
What is the difference between erosion and deposition?
Erosion moves rock away. Deposition places rocks in other areas.
400
Which type of rock is put under high temperatures and pressure and can form rough layers (wavy as in gneiss)?
Metamorphic
400
How do farmers prevent wind erosion of topsoil?
They surround fields with natural barriers, such as trees.
400
Is an erupting volcano considered a constructive or destructive force? Explain why.
A constructive response because lava has cooled into rock (igneous).
400
What are biomass fuels?
Biomass fuels are fuel made by living things such as corn.
500
What is the difference between igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock?
Igneous rocks- form when melted rock cools and hardens,
Sedimentary rocks- form when layers of materials and rock sediments settle on top of each other and then harden,
and Metamorphic rocks- form inside Earth from other rocks under heat and pressure.
500
Describe the rock cycle (as a process). Be sure to explain how one type of rock can change into another type of rock.
The rock cycle is a slow process that changes rock types. It can take millions of years. An igneous rock forms after a volcanic eruption. After thousands of years of being exposed to high temperatures and squeezed under Earth's surface, the igneous rock turns into metamorphic rock. The metamorphic rock gradually weathers into bits of sediment. These sediment pieces eventually form sedimentary rock after many sediment layers are pressed together.
500
What are organic parts of soil? What are the inorganic parts?
Organic parts can include humus and organisms. Inorganic parts include rock, water, and air (nonliving things).
500
Explain two ways that the movement of Earth's plates changes the surface of Earth.
Two plates may collide with each other. When plates collide, the crust folds, tilts, and lifts, forming mountains. Two plates may also pull apart from each other, forming a rift valley.
500
Explain how coal, oil, and natural gas are nonrenewable resources.
Coal forms from the remains of dead plants that lived long ago. Oil and natural gas form from the remains of tiny sea organisms. All three resources took millions of years to form and cannot easily be replaced.