Earth's Spheres Notes 2025

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT typically required by organisms to carry out life processes?

• Oxygen or carbon dioxide

• Liquid water

• Moderate temperatures

• Plastic

Open Ended

What is the significance of Earth's spheres in supporting life on our planet?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes the geosphere?

• The solid, rocky part of Earth that includes the continental and ocean crust as well as the various layers of Earth’s interior.

• The part of Earth that is liquid water.

• The mixture of gases that surround Earth.

• All of the frozen water on Earth.

Multiple Choice

What are some examples of water found in the hydrosphere?

• Oceans, lakes, rivers, and groundwater

• Mountains, rocks, and soil

• Nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide

• Snow, ice, and glaciers

Open Ended

List two ways the cryosphere can impact Earth's climate or living things.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements about the atmosphere is correct?

• It is a mixture of mostly invisible gases that surround Earth.

• It is made up of all the frozen water on Earth.

• It is the solid, rocky part of Earth.

• It is only found at the surface of the Earth.

Open Ended

How is energy transferred between Earth's spheres, and why must any addition of energy to one sphere be balanced by a subtraction from another?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes how energy from the sun is distributed when it reaches Earth?

• Most is absorbed by Earth's surface, some is reflected by clouds and atmosphere, and some is radiated back to space.

• Most is reflected by Earth's surface, with little being absorbed or radiated.

• All incoming energy is absorbed by the atmosphere.

• All incoming energy is radiated directly back to space.

Open Ended

How many parts of the Earth system can you identify in this image? How do they interact?