In a climate with cold winters, a rock cracks and breaks.  What substance froze inside the rock causing it to break?

• calcium
• oil
• oxygen
• water

Some aquifers are composed of limestone and dolomite.  Which process increases the open spaces of the aquifer formation?

• wave action
• wind erosion
• tensional faulting
• chemical weathering

Which of these is a property of water that allows it to transport materials through the Earth system?

• it expands as it solidifies
• it is transparent
• it dissolves many substances
• it is a compound

Which property of water allows it to dissolve many different substances?

• it is a polar molecule
• it contains hydrogen atoms
• it has a high melting point
• it has a low density

Chemical weathering occurs when minerals in rocks are changed chemically.  Which of these will most likely change the rate of chemical weathering on a rock?

• decrease in air temperature
• increase in rainfall amounts
• slow movement of a glacier
• rapid growth of plant roots

One characteristic that is unique to water is that it 

• has a low specific heat
• can be changed from a liquid to a solid
• dissolves very few substances
• exists naturally in three states on Earth

What happens to the physical state of water when it freezes?

• expands (gets bigger)
• contracts (gets smaller)
• changes color
• becomes warm

The boiling point of water in degrees Celsius is

• 0 degrees celsius
• 32 degrees celsius
• 100 degrees celsius
• 212 degrees celsius

Fish can live in lakes that are frozen because liquid water remains below the ice at the surface.  Which of these describes a property of water that allows some liquid water to remain in frozen lakes?

• water can dissolve many substances
• water is less dense as a solid than as a liquid
• water has a Mohs hardness of about 2 when it is frozen
• water holds less air at higher temperatures

Which change in the state of water particles causes the particles to become arranged in a fixed position?

• boiling
• melting
• freezing
• evaporating