Rock Cycle Basics
What type of rock forms from sediment being compacted and cemented?
Sedimentary
What energy source drives most weathering and erosion on Earth?
The Sun
What shape valley do glaciers make?
U-shape valleys
What type of boundary forms new crust?
Divergent
Which process changes rock without melting it?
Metamorphism (heat and pressure)
A group of students wants to improve a backpack so it is more comfortable to carry. What is the BEST first step they should take?
A. Build a new backpack immediately
B. Ask classmates what feels uncomfortable about their current backpacks
C. Guess which materials work best and use those
D. Make the backpack heavier to test its strength
B. Ask classmates what feels uncomfortable about their current backpacks
Which process turns any rock into magma?
Melting
What energy source moves glaciers downhill?
Gravity
What evidence shows a glacier dragged rocks across bedrock?
Striations (scratches or grooves)
What evidence did Alfred Wegener use to support continental drift?
Fossils, shape of continents, rock layers
A rock is smooth and rounded. What process shaped it?
Weathering + erosion in flowing water.
The students in a science class are working in teams to come up with a design for an environmentally friendly school playground. Each team presents its design to a panel of judges. Which design solution will meet the criteria?
Team 1 presents an idea for sprinklers and a splash pad.
Team 2 presents an idea for a zip line and a climbing wall.
Team 3 presents an idea for a swing set and slide.
Team 4 presents an idea for recycled tire swings and a walking path.
Team 4 presents an idea for recycled tire swings and a walking path.
Why is obsidian an igneous rock even though it has no crystals?
It cooled extremely quickly from lava.
Put these processes in order: deposition → erosion → weathering→ cementation→ compaction.
Explain each one
Weathering breaks rock → erosion moves it → deposition drops it→ compaction applies pressure→ cementation from water "glues" it together.
What landform forms when a glacier melts and drops unsorted sediment?
Moraine
Why do earthquakes happen at transform boundaries?
Plates slide past each other and release energy.
What can you infer about rock layers ages?
A. The rock layers at the top of the mountain are the oldest.
B. The rock strata can provide an absolute time scale of Earth’s history.
C. The rock strata can be used to understand relative dates in Earth’s history.
D. The rock layers in the mountain are made out of materials that are the same age.
C. The rock strata can be used to understand relative dates in Earth’s history.
A team of engineers is creating a new high-tech prosthetic limb that can connect to a person’s nervous system to provide sensation.
Which action will MOST help them create an effective final design?
A. Begin designing immediately without considering any limitations.
B. Copy the criteria from older prosthetic designs and apply them to this one.
C. Wait until after building the prototype to think about user needs.
D. Determine the constraints and requirements that could affect the design.
D. Determine the constraints and requirements that could affect the design.
Which of the following statements about rock formation is the most accurate?
A. All rock types will form under similar conditions but they will have distinct properties.
B. Similar processes in different areas will result in rock types with different properties.
C. Different processes in different areas can result in a variety of rock types.
D. Rocks of the same type result from different processes in similar areas.
C. Different processes in different areas can result in a variety of rock types.
Some students are creating a model to show how matter can be recycled. Each group creates a model and presents it to the class. Which model best demonstrates the natural cycling of matter?
A. a model that uses water to show how flooding can erode sand
B. a model that shows how plants can grow taller with direct sunshine
C. a model that demonstrates how noncontact forces can move objects
D. a model that applies the use of gravity to prove why ocean waves move
A. a model that uses water to show how flooding can erode sand
Why do glaciers leave behind mixed sediments of all sizes?
Ice melts and drops everything it was carrying (till).
Mountains like the Himalayas form at what type of boundary?
Convergent (continent–continent)
Many metal and mineral resources can be found where new crust is being formed. Where would scientists look for these resources?
A. along trenches at the bottom of the ocean
B. anywhere, because resources are distributed evenly
C. in remote, icy locations where people have not yet looked
D. near subduction zones where volcanic activity is occurring
D. near subduction zones where volcanic activity is occurring
Two students are creating a new scooter. What should they do to improve their design the most?
A. Change a few parts of the scooter without testing it
B. Build random versions and choose one
C. Test the scooter with users and use feedback to improve it
D. Only try to make the scooter go as fast as possible
C. Test the scooter with users and use feedback to improve it
A rock has visible crystals and formed deep underground.
Identify the rock type and explain what that tells you about its cooling rate
Intrusive igneous; cooled slowly → large crystals.
If the temperature increases over time, which rock-cycle process becomes more likely to happen to glaciers?
Melting, leading to smaller glaciers and deposition of sediment.
A valley has striations, polished rock, and a moraine.
Explain how these three features formed in order.
Glacier moved downhill → eroded and scratched rock → melted and deposited sediment.
GPS data shows two continents moving apart 3 cm/year.
Explain how this evidence supports plate motion theory.
GPS data shows two continents moving apart 3 cm/year.
Explain how this evidence supports plate motion theory.
A student claims glaciers cannot erode rock because they melt slowly.
Use evidence to argue for or against this claim.
Incorrect — glaciers erode by dragging rocks across surfaces causing striations and abrasion, even while frozen.
Engineers are developing a new wheelchair using lightweight materials and improved braking. They build a prototype, but during testing they learn the wheels slip on wet surfaces. What should they do NEXT to improve the design?
A. Ignore the slipping issue because the wheelchair works well on dry floors
B. Restart the entire design from scratch
C. Adjust the wheel material or tread pattern, then test again under wet conditions
D. Add more features without addressing the slipping problem
C. Adjust the wheel material or tread pattern, then test again under wet conditions