Level 1
What is the outermost layer of Earth?
a. Mantle
b. Core
c. Crust
d. Lithosphere
Answer: c. Crust
What increases as you go deeper into Earth?
a. Temperature and pressure
b. Oxygen levels
c. Density of rocks decreases
d. Magnetic field weakens
Answer: a. Temperature and pressure
Which layer is the thickest?
a. Crust
b. Outer Core
c. Mantle
d. Inner Core
Answer: c. Mantle
Which layer lies directly beneath the lithosphere?
a. Inner Core
b. Asthenosphere
c. Mantle
d. Crust
Answer: b. Asthenosphere
How does the composition of the crust differ from the mantle?
a. The crust is mostly solid iron; the mantle is liquid rock.
b. The crust is made of silicate minerals; the mantle contains magnesium-rich silicates.
c. The crust is liquid rock; the mantle is solid metal.
d. The crust is thinner and made of metals.
Answer: b. The crust is made of silicate minerals; the mantle contains magnesium-rich silicates.
Which layer of Earth is made up of solid iron and nickel?
a. Mantle
b. Outer Core
c. Inner Core
d. Lithosphere
Answer: c. Inner Core
Which layer is partially molten and allows tectonic plates to move?
a. Crust
b. Lithosphere
c. Asthenosphere
d. Inner Core
Answer: c. Asthenosphere
The upper mantle and crust together form the:
a. Asthenosphere
b. Lithosphere
c. Magnetosphere
d. Outer Core
Answer: b. Lithosphere
What causes the outer core to remain in a liquid state?
a. High pressure
b. High temperature
c. Low density
d. Tectonic plate movement
Answer: b. High temperature
What happens to seismic waves as they pass through Earth’s layers?
a. They travel at the same speed through all layers.
b. They change speed and direction due to differences in density and state of matter.
c. They disappear when hitting the outer core.
d. They increase in strength near the crust.
Answer: b. They change speed and direction due to differences in density and state of matter.
What is the lithosphere?
a. The rigid outer layer of Earth, including the crust and uppermost mantle
b. The hot, semi-fluid part of the mantle below the crust
c. The liquid layer surrounding the inner core
d. The magnetic field surrounding Earth
Answer: a. The rigid outer layer of Earth, including the crust and uppermost mantle
What are the two types of crust?
a. Inner crust and outer crust
b. Upper crust and lower crust
c. Oceanic crust and continental crust
d. Soft crust and hard crust
Answer: c. Oceanic crust and continental crust
How deep is Earth’s crust on average?
a. 5-70 kilometers
b. 100-300 kilometers
c. 500-1,000 kilometers
d. 5,000 kilometers
Answer: a. 5-70 kilometers
What is the role of the oceanic crust?
a. To form mountain ranges
b. To hold Earth’s water
c. To conduct magnetic waves
d. To store magma
Answer: b. To hold Earth’s water
Which layer is the least dense?
a. Crust
b. Outer Core
c. Mantle
d. Inner Core
Answer: a. Crust
What is the primary composition of Earth’s mantle?
a. Iron and nickel
b. Silicate rocks rich in magnesium and iron
c. Liquid metal
d. Solid rock
Answer: b. Silicate rocks rich in magnesium and iron
How do scientists study Earth’s interior layers?
a. By drilling into the mantle
b. Using satellite imaging
c. By studying seismic (earthquake) waves
d. By observing volcanic eruptions
Answer: c. By studying seismic (earthquake) waves
What is the magnetosphere?
a. A solid layer of Earth
b. A layer of gases around Earth
c. The magnetic field that protects Earth from solar wind
d. The liquid outer core
Answer: c. The magnetic field that protects Earth from solar wind
What is the approximate depth of Earth’s outer core?
a. 5,100 kilometers
b. 2,900 kilometers
c. 1,000 kilometers
d. 500 kilometers
Answer: b. 2,900 kilometers
How does oceanic crust differ from continental crust?
a. Oceanic crust is thicker but less dense than continental crust.
b. Oceanic crust is thinner and denser than continental crust.
c. Oceanic crust floats above continental crust.
d. Oceanic crust contains more iron than continental crust.
Answer: b. Oceanic crust is thinner and denser than continental crust.
Which layer of Earth is responsible for the planet’s magnetic field?
a. Crust
b. Outer Core
c. Mantle
d. Lithosphere
Answer: b. Outer Core
What is the asthenosphere made of?
a. Rigid rock that forms tectonic plates
b. Soft, plastic-like rock that flows slowly
c. Liquid metal
d. Solid iron and nickel
Answer: b. Soft, plastic-like rock that flows slowly
What is the composition of the inner core?
a. Liquid iron and nickel
b. Solid rock
c. Solid iron and nickel
d. Molten silicates
Answer: c. Solid iron and nickel
How does Earth’s core affect the magnetosphere?
a. The solid inner core creates magnetic fields.
b. The movement of liquid in the outer core generates magnetic fields.
c. The core absorbs magnetic waves from the Sun.
d. The mantle’s heat maintains the magnetosphere.
Answer: b. The movement of liquid in the outer core generates magnetic fields.
Why is the inner core solid despite its high temperature?
a. It contains less iron and nickel than other layers.
b. The pressure at the core is so great that it prevents melting.
c. It is closer to the mantle.
d. It is less dense than the outer core.
Answer: b. The pressure at the core is so great that it prevents melting.