Midterm Review (Slides with Practice Questions)

Earth and Space Science Midterm Review
2026

Match

Match the following

• Big Bang Theory

• Elements

• Hubble's Law

• Point of Singularity

• Microwave Radiation

The idea of how the universe began

Same found on Earth and all over the solar system

Universe is expanding, galaxies are moving away

Tiny speck that held everything the universe is made of

Left over energy from the Big Bang

• The idea of how the universe began

• Same found on Earth and all over the solar system

• Universe is expanding, galaxies are moving away

• Tiny speck that held everything the universe is made of

• Left over energy from the Big Bang

Drag and Drop

The spectral lines of galaxies that are moving away from us shift toward the ​ ​

Placeholder

end of the spectrum.​ ​

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

red

yellow

green

Multiple Choice

What are two important pieces of evidence we have for the Big Bang?

• Ptolemy’s work on epicycles and Hubble’s law (the expansion of the Universe)

• Doppler Effect (the redshifting of the Universe) and cosmic background radiation

• The fact that we have multiple Universes to compare and study and cosmic background radiation (CBR)

• The abundance of hydrogen, helium, and lithium found in the Universe and Ptolemy’s work on epicycles

Drag and Drop

A nebula forms when stars ​

Placeholder

, and it's where ​ new ​

Placeholder

are formed.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

die

stars

Labeling

Label the graphic organizer

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

black dwarf

supernova

black hole

white dwarf

protostar

planetary nebula

Match

Match the following for an AVERAGE star like our Sun:

• Nebula

• Main sequence

• Red Giant

• Planetary nebula

• White dwarf

cloud of dust of gas

adult life: burning: light and heat

begins to die and expands

outer layers break down and leave core

Last stage: core emits very little light

• cloud of dust of gas

• adult life: burning: light and heat

• begins to die and expands

• outer layers break down and leave core

• Last stage: core emits very little light

Multiple Choice

Which of the following list the correct order of the life cycle of massive stars?

• Nebula --> protostar --> main sequence --> red supergiant --> supernova --> blackhole
• Nebula --> protostar --> main sequence --> red giant --> planetary nebula --> white dwarf --> black dwarf
• Nebula --> protostar --> main sequence --> supernova --> red giant --> blackhole
• Nebula --> protostar --> blackhole --> red supergiant --> supernova --> main sequence

Hotspot

The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram shown is divided into four sections.

Which section of the diagram includes the coolest, brightest stars?

Hotspot

Select where the Sun is currently on the H-R Diagram.

Multiple Choice

Which type of stars are located in letter C?

• Main Sequence - low mass stars

• Main Sequence - high mass stars

• Red Supergiants

• White Dwarfs

Multiple Choice

What is the relationship between sunspot cycles and solar activity?

• Sunspots occur every year

• Sunspots occur in 11 year cycles

• Sunspots have no effect on solar activity

• Sunspots are only observed during solar maximum

Drag and Drop

Which are the four terrestrial planets?​​

Placeholder

​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Placeholder

​

Placeholder

​

Placeholder

​

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Mercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

Saturn

Neptune

Labeling

Label the four Jovian planets, also known as gas giants or ice giants.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Jupiter

Multiple Choice

What effect does increasing the distance between an ellipse’s foci have on the shape of an ellipse?

• Increases eccentricity

• Decreases eccentricity

• no effect

Multiple Choice

What is the term for the point in an elliptical orbit closest to the Sun?

• Aphelion

• Perihelion

• Perigee

• Apogee

Dropdown

Which location represents perihelion?

Select answer

Dropdown

Which location represents aphelion? ​

Select answer

Match

Match Kepler's Laws to the correct description.

• Orbits are in the shape of an ellipse with the sun at one focus.

• Planets travel equal distance in equal time as they orbit the sun.

• Orbital Periods are proportionate to the distance from the sun.

Kepler's First Law of Planetary Motion

Kepler's Second Law of Planetary Motion

Kepler's Third Law of Planetary Motion

• Kepler's First Law of Planetary Motion

• Kepler's Second Law of Planetary Motion

• Kepler's Third Law of Planetary Motion

Multiple Select

Kepler's 1st Law says that planets orbit...

• the sun

• the moon

• in a perfect circle

• in an ellipse

Multiple Choice

According to Kepler's Laws, what happens to a planet's orbital velocity as it gets closer to the Sun?

• It decreases

• It increases

• It remains constant

• It becomes unpredictable

Multiple Choice

Waning means to _______.

• get smaller

• get larger

Multiple Choice

Waxing means to _______.

• get smaller

• get larger

Fill in the Blanks

During which two positions of  the moon will the Earth have the highest tides?

Dropdown

The moon would be place in position ​

Select answer

and ​ ​

Select answer

for a Spring ​

Select answer

Multiple Choice

What kind of tide does this picture represent?

• spring tides

• neap tides

• tidal wave

• tsunami

Multiple Choice

What type of tide is represented by this picture?

• spring tide

• neap tide

• tidal wave

• tsunami

Multiple Choice

If the Moon is in the umbra of the Earth, what type of  eclipse is occurring?

• Total Solar Eclipse

• Total Lunar Eclipse

• Partial Solar Eclipse

• Partial Lunar Eclipse

Multiple Choice

What causes Earth's tides?

• The gravitational pull by the sun on the surface of the earth.

• The gravitational pull by the core of the earth on the surface water.

• The gravitational pull of the moon on the water on Earth's surface

Drag and Drop

The tide in the picture is a ​

Placeholder

.

During this tide, the high/low tides will be ​

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than usual.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

spring tide

higher and lower

neap tide

less high and less low

Multiple Choice

What is a Solar Eclipse?

• When the Earth casts a shadow on the Moon

• When the Moon casts a shadow on Earth

• When the Sun is directly behind the Earth

• When the Moon is in the First Quarter

Multiple Choice

What would most likely happen to New York State's summer and winter temperatures if the tilt of Earth's axis increased from 23.5° to 30°?

• Both the summers and winters would become cooler.

• Both the summers and winters would become warmer.

• The summers would become cooler and the winters would become warmer

• The summers would become warmer and the winters would become cooler.

Multiple Choice

Which diagram best represents the regions of Earth in sunlight on June 21 and December 21? [NP indicates the North Pole and the shading represents Earth's night side. Diagrams are not drawn to scale.]

Multiple Choice

Seasonal changes on Earth are primarily caused by the

• tilt of Earth's axis as Earth revolves around the Sun

• elliptical shape of Earth's orbit around the Sun

• changes in distance between Earth and the Sun

• parallelism of the Sun's axis as the Sun revolves around Earth

Categorize

Options (13)

Day and night are equal lengths

Days are longer than nights

Nights are longer than days

Occurs in Fall and Spring

Occurs in Winter

Occurs in Summer

Occurs around March 21st

Occurs around September 23rd

Occurs around June 21st

Occurs around December 21st

Match the following, assuming you are in the Northern Hemisphere.

Equinox

Winter Solstice

Summer Solstice

Multiple Choice

Which fossil would make the best index fossil?

• Beetle

• Flower

• Frog

• Fish

Multiple Choice

Why are index fossils used as guides to determine the age of rocks?

• Each index fossil lived during a specific geologic time period.

• Index fossils are found in igneous rocks.

• Index fossils are very rare and are not commonly found in rocks.

• All index fossils lived during all the periods of geologic time.

Reorder

Put the following in order from OLDEST to MOST RECENT

• Precambrian

• Paleozoic

• Mesozoic

• Cenozoic

1

2

3

4

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4