Earth Science Unit Test

Earth Science Unit Test 8-1, 8-2, 8-3, 8-5.1, and 8-5.2 Directions: Select the best answer to each question and record it on your answer sheet.

1. (8-2.1) Fossilized coral reefs, fish, and other warm water marine creatures have been found in mountainous regions of New England. Which of the following best explains how this occurred? a. Scavengers carried the remains of these creatures to higher regions. b. The climate and geology of this area have changed over time. c. The process of fossilization greatly changed the original material. d. These creatures were better adapted to cold climates at one time.

Use the diagram to answer #2.

2. (8-2.1) Because of this animal’s adaptations, it would be most successful at a. competing with birds b. hiding from predators c. making its own food d. running very rapidly

3. (8-2.1) Natural selection occurs when… a. an organism’s offspring grow vestigial structures. b. characteristics from the parent organism are inherited. c. organisms are geographically isolated from one another for long periods of times. d. variation in a population produces different rates of survival and reproduction.

4. (8-2.2) Fossils are evidence of living things that were alive many, many years ago and often consist of the skeletons of creatures imbedded in rock. Why don’t fossils contain the animal’s soft tissues, as well? a. Because the rock always smashed the soft tissues flat b. Because the rock breaks down soft tissues c. Because the soft tissues decayed before the fossil could be formed d. Because the soft tissues were always eaten by scavengers

5. (8-2.2) A researcher found shark fossils on top of a mountain. This evidence suggests which of the following about this region? a. It was once below a waterfall. b. It was once covered by an ocean. c. It was once near a freshwater lake. d. It was once part of a riverbed.

6. (8-2.5) ______first appeared during the Mesozoic Era. a. Fish b. Flowers c. Vertebrates d. Reptiles

7. (8-2.5) Which statement best explains why rock from the Precambrian time period contains very few fossils? a. A global event destroyed all life-forms at some point during Precambrian time. b. During early Precambrian time, there were no life-forms on Earth. c. Life on Earth during Precambrian time were soft-bodied and left few fossil imprints. d. Precambrian life-forms have not had time to fossilize. Use the diagram to help answer # 8.

8. (8-2.6/2.7) Scientists see three layers of rock exposed on the side of a hill. The bottom layer is sandstone with fossils of a species of reptile. The middle layer is volcanic ash. The top layer is mudstone (shale) with fossils of a different species of reptile. The fossil evidence supports which hypothesis about the extinction of the older reptile species? a. The older reptile species went extinct because a predator was introduced into the environment. b. The older reptile species went extinct because a volcanic eruption caused the environment to change. c. The older reptile species went extinct because it could not compete with the younger reptile species. d. The older reptile species went extinct because sea levels rose and flooded its habitat.

9. (8-2.7) The marsh willow herb is a plant native to the northeastern United States. It grows best in damp habitats. Which of the following environmental changes would most likely cause a decrease in the marsh willow herb population in an area? a. a drought lasting twelve months b. a rainstorm lasting several weeks c. unusually high temperatures during the month of January d. unusually low temperatures during the month of July

10. (8-3.1) A layer of solid brittle rock comprises the outer 100 kilometers of Earth. This layer, which contains both the crust and the upper mantle, is called the a. asthenosphere. b. convection zone. c. core. d. lithosphere.

11. (8-1.3/8-3.1) Which of the following graphs best represents the relationship between density and depth of material below Earth’s surface?

12. (8-3.4) More often than metamorphic or igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks have — a. a glassy appearance b. large quartz crystals c. many holes from trapped gases d. numerous fossils 13. (8-3.4) What is the major process of surface rock formation on volcanoes? a. Rock cools quickly from melted rock. b. Rock is formed from deposited sediment. c. Rock is recrystallized by extreme pressure. d. Rock solidifies slowly deep underground.

Use the diagram to the right to answer questions #s 14-15.

14. (8-3.3) The map to the right shows that which method is being used to analyze the location of an earthquake? a. Amplification b. Circulation c. Seismology d. Triangulation

15. (8-3.3) On the map above, each of the black dots represents a seismograph station. The radius of each circle represents the distance from the station to the earthquake. What is represented by the intersection of the circles? a. The last point the earthquake was detected b. The location of the earthquake’s epicenter c. The location of the earthquake’s focus d. The magnitude of the earthquake fault

Use the diagram to answer #16.

16. (8-3.6) Scientists believe that forces in Earth’s mantle move Earth’s crustal plates. What do the arrows in the diagram represent? a. convection currents b. gravity c. ocean currents d. wind patterns

The following diagram shows a cross-section of the mid-Atlantic Ridge. Use the diagram to answer #17

17. (8-1.3/8-3.6) Which area is likely the youngest crust? a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4

18. (8-3.6) Which of the following statements best explains why earthquakes occur more frequently in California than in Massachusetts? a. California is located on a continental plate, but Massachusetts is not. b. California is located on the boundary of two crustal plates, but Massachusetts is not. c. The rock found in California is igneous, but the rock found in Massachusetts is sedimentary. d. The rock under California is soft, but the rock under Massachusetts is hard.

19. (8-3.8) Movement along a fault releases energy that moves outward in the form of seismic waves. The point inside Earth where this movement first occurs is called the______. a. Earthquake b. Epicenter c. Focus d. Slip Zone

Use the diagram to answer # 20.

20. (8-1.3/8-3.7) The Hawaiian Islands are riding on the Pacific Plate as it moves northwestward. They are being formed as the plate moves over a hot spot in the mantle. Where is the next volcano likely to form? a. A b. B c. C d. D

21. (8-1.3/8-3.6) An oceanographer is traveling from the west toward the east on the Atlantic Ocean. She collects rock samples from the seafloor every 5 kilometers. The oceanographer stops when she determines that the rock samples are getting progressively younger as she moves toward the east. What conclusion is best supported by this data? a. She is traveling away from a hot spot in the crust. b. She is traveling away from an underwater volcano. c. She is traveling toward a deep ocean trench. d. She is traveling toward a mid-ocean ridge.

Use the scenario to answer questions 22-23.

Will wanted to find out if hot water froze slower than room temperature water. He filled one ice cube tray with hot water and another ice cube tray with room temperature water. He put the trays into the freezer and checked them every hour to determine if ice had formed.

22. (8-1.4) - During Will’s experiment, the independent variable was the ______. a. freezing point of the water b. temperature of the water c. time to reach freezing point d. volume of the water 23. (8-1.2) -Why did Will test both hot water and room temperature water? a. It allowed him to make a valid comparison b. It allowed him to state his results as a theory c. It helped him form a hypothesis d. It was easier to perform two tests

The map below shows some of the major tectonic plates on Earth. Use the map to answer 24-25.

24. (8-3.7) What process is forming high non-volcanic mountains at location 1 on the map? a. One tectonic plate is sliding past another tectonic plate. b. One tectonic plate is splitting apart into two plates. c. Two tectonic plates are colliding and one is sliding under the other. d. Two tectonic plates are colliding and pushing together.

25. (8-3.7) A line of volcanoes occurs along the western coast of South America, near location 4. Based on the information about plate movement on the map, which process explains the formation of these volcanoes? a. melting of crust because of plate movement over a “hot spot” b. rifting of a plate with lava filling in the resulting valley c. sliding of one plate sideways past another resulting in friction and melting d. subducting of one plate under the other causing melting of the lower plate

26. (8-1.1) A class wants to find the ideal temperature for plants to grow in a terrarium. If the students set up several terrariums, what should they do to get the best results? a. plant different kinds of plants in each terrarium b. use a light bulb with a different brightness in each terrarium c. add different amounts of water to each terrarium d. place different types of fertilizer in each terrarium

27. (8-1.3) A desert lake has evaporated to half its original size over the past 50 years. This caused a large increase in the lake’s salt concentration. Over these 50 years, scientists have observed a decrease in the population of one fish species and an increase in the population of a shrimp species. Which hypothesis about the organisms’ ability to live with the salt concentration does the evidence support? a. The fish are better able to live in areas of high salt concentration. b. The shrimp are better able to live in areas of high salt concentration. c. Neither the shrimp nor the fish are able to live in areas of high salt concentration. d. Both the shrimp and the fish are equally able to live in areas of high salt concentration.

Use the Table to answer #28.

28. (8-1.3) A student studying spiders creates the table shown above. What is the best conclusion the student can make based on this information? a. Web spiders are larger than hunting spiders. b. Wolf spiders are the largest of these spiders. c. Hunting spiders have warning color patterns. d. Jumping spiders are faster than yellow garden spiders.

Motion Diagram (Use the motion graph to answer questions # 29-30.) The graph below shows the position of a car in motion along an east-west road over a period of 10 minutes. The car’s position is recorded at 1-minute intervals. At time = 0, the car’s position is at the starting point.

29. (8-5.1) What is the car’s motion relative to the time at 8 minutes? a. at rest at the starting point b. in motion at the starting point c. moving toward the starting point d. moving away from the starting point

30. (8-5.1) What is the total distance traveled by the car at 6 minutes? a. 600 meters b. 1,200 meters c. 0 meters d. 800 meters

Use the Graph to answer items 31-32 31. (8-5.1) This graph shows the motion of a car. What distance has the car traveled in 10 s? a. 0 m b. 8 m c. 50 m d. 100 m

32. (8-5.2) What was the car’s speed at 4 seconds? A. 10 m/s B. 10 s/m C. 40 m/s D. 40 s/m

33. (8-5.2) Scientists observed that an object traveled 80 meters in 40 seconds. Given this information, which is the object’s average speed? a. 0.5 m/s b. 0.5 s/m c. 2 m/s d. 2 s/m

34. (8-5.2) This graph represents the motion of a cart. What is the average speed of the cart? a. 0.83 m/s b. 1.17 m/s c. 5 m/s d. 65 m/s

Directions: Answer the following question on your answer sheet.

35. (8-3.6) Examine the diagram below. Explain in detail why the oceanic plate sinks below the continental plate.