Layers & Rocks
What is the name of the type of rock formed when layers of sediment harden over time?
Sedimentary rock.
Name three fossil fuels mentioned in the document
Coal, oil, natural gas.
What fills the tiny spaces between pieces of sediment and helps glue them together?
Sticky claylike materials (sometimes called cement or clay).
List two uses of fossil fuels from the document
Heat homes, power cars, make materials, generate electrical energy, gasoline for cars.
Describe what sediment is in one sentence.
Sediment is solid material that is moved from one place and deposited somewhere else.
Which fossil fuel is a solid formed from ancient plants that lived in swampy forests?
coal
In the coal formation description, what kind of environment did the ancient plants live in?
Swampy forests.
What is the process called when people dig coal out of the ground?
Coal mining.
What two processes (one physical, one chemical) help turn sediment into sedimentary rock according to the text
Physical: pressure from overlying layers; Chemical: sticky claylike materials fill spaces and glue pieces together (cementation).
ccording to the document, what kind of ancient organisms formed oil and natural gas?
iny ancient marine organisms such as plankton.
Put these steps in order for oil and gas formation as described: pressure and heat; organisms die and settle; layers of sand and sediment cover remains.
Correct order: organisms die and settle → layers of sand and sediment cover remains → pressure and heat.
Name two environmental impacts of mining and drilling mentioned in the text
Increased erosion from removing layers of soil and rock; harm to habitats; pollution of nearby water sources.
Explain why sedimentary rock often appears in layers (use evidence from the text).
Because layers of sediment build up over time and each new layer presses down on the ones below, forming visible layers when they harden.
hy does the document say natural gas forms at higher temperatures than oil?
Because natural gas forms at higher temperatures than oil does (higher heat needed for gas formation).
Using the diagrams described, name one visual clue that shows fossil fuels formed over millions of years.
Diagrams showing layers labeled with millions of years (e.g., 300–400 million years ago → 100 million years ago → Today) and showing plant/animal remains under layers of sediment.
How does burning fossil fuels affect the environment according to the document?
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, which may impact the environment (contributing to climate change).
Give two examples of things that can move sediment from one place to another (hint: from the document about Earth patterns).
Examples: water (rivers, ocean), wind, ice (glaciers), gravity (landslides). (Any two acceptable from text: rivers/streams depositing sticky claylike material; water and wind implied.)
Explain why fossil fuels are called nonrenewable resources, using a short sentence based on the text.
Because they form very slowly from dead organisms and cannot be replaced on a human time scale; they can be used up.
Describe how temperature and pressure change over time and how that helps form coal, oil, or natural gas (one short paragraph).
Over time, added layers increase pressure and heat on buried remains; higher pressure and heat transform the remains into coal, oil, or natural gas (coal forms from plant remains under sediment; oil and gas from marine organisms under increasing pressure/heat).
xplain one benefit and one drawback of fossil fuel extraction mentioned in the reading
Benefit — provides jobs and a reliable source of energy. Drawback — can increase erosion, harm habitats, pollute water, and releasing carbon dioxide into the air.