Quiz about 8th Grade Earth Science MCAS Review

Question 1

How long does it take the Earth to rotate on its axis

Accepted Answer

1 day

Answer

1 week

Answer

1 month

Answer

1 year

Question 2

When is Earth closest to the Sun?

Accepted Answer

January 3

Answer

June 21

Answer

December 21

Answer

March 20

Question 3

When are the direct rays of the Sun furthest north of the equator?

Accepted Answer

June 21

Answer

December 21

Answer

March 20

Answer

January 3

Question 4

When are the direct rays of the Sun directly above the equator?

Accepted Answer

The equinoxes

Answer

The solstices

Answer

The eclipses

Answer

The summer

Question 5

What is the main reason it is warmer at the equator than the poles?

Accepted Answer

the equator gets more direct solar radiation

Answer

the equator is closer to the sun

Answer

the equator gets more days of sunshine

Answer

the equator has longer days

Question 6

What is season is it in the northern hemisphere

Accepted Answer

winter

Answer

summer

Answer

fall

Answer

spring

Question 7

What is season is it in the southern hemisphere

Accepted Answer

winter

Answer

summer

Answer

fall

Answer

spring

Question 8

When are the equinoxes?

Accepted Answer

March & September

Answer

June & December

Answer

July & January

Answer

April & October

Question 9

Which type of motion causes night / day?

Accepted Answer

Rotation

Answer

Revolution

Answer

Kepler's 1st Law

Answer

Nutation

Question 10

Why is it generally warmer near the equator than it is near the poles?

Accepted Answer

the equator receives more direct sunlight

Answer

the poles receive more direct sunlight

Answer

the equator is closer to the sun

Answer

the poles are closer to the sun

Question 11

The main human activity that releases greenhouse gases is...

Accepted Answer

burning fossil fuels

Answer

using bottled water

Answer

texting on cellphones

Answer

eating meat

Question 12

What are the two most common greenhouse gases?

Accepted Answer

Water Vapor (H₂O) and Carbon Dioxide CO₂

Answer

Water Vapor (H₂O) and Methane (CH₄)

Answer

Carbon Dioxide CO₂and Methane (CH₄)

Answer

Water Vapor (H₂O) and Nitrous oxide (N₂O)

Question 13

Over the past 200 years, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has

Accepted Answer

increased steadily.

Answer

decreased slightly.

Answer

increased until recently, and then decreased.

Answer

stayed about the same.

Question 14

Consequences of climate change include:

Accepted Answer

All of the above

Answer

Stronger hurricanes

Answer

Increased flooding

Answer

Frequent droughts

Question 15

A lunar eclipse can occur only during the _________________.

Accepted Answer

Full moon

Answer

New moon

Answer

Waxing moon

Question 16

Which type of eclipse occurs when the Moon comes directly between Earth and the Sun?

Accepted Answer

Solar eclipse

Answer

Lunar eclipse

Question 17

What type of tide occurs during a new and full moon?

Accepted Answer

Spring tides

Answer

Neap tides

Answer

Normal tides

Question 18

Which body has the greater effect on Earth's tides?

Accepted Answer

Moon

Answer

Sun

Answer

Saturn

Answer

Venus

Question 19

At which point will a person on Earth see a new moon?

Accepted Answer

5

Answer

3

Answer

4

Answer

6

Question 20

If an object has more _______, it will have more gravitational force.

Accepted Answer

mass

Answer

distance

Question 21

Two factors effecting the magnitude of the force of gravity between 2 objects are...

Accepted Answer

mass and distance

Answer

mass and matter

Answer

distance and weight

Answer

weight and mass

Question 22

Is the force of gravity on the diver a push or a pull?

Accepted Answer

pull

Answer

push

Question 23

A force of attraction between 2 object that is directly related to mass and indirectly related to distance.

Accepted Answer

gravity

Answer

mass

Answer

weight

Answer

kilogram

Question 24

As mass increases, what happens to gravitational force?

Accepted Answer

increases

Answer

decreases

Answer

stays the same

Answer

i don't know

Question 25

As the distance between 2 objects increases, what happens to gravitational force?

Accepted Answer

decreases

Answer

increases

Answer

stays the same

Answer

i don't know

Question 26

Which model has greater gravitational attraction (if any)

Accepted Answer

Model A

Answer

Model B

Answer

Both Model A and Model B (same gravity)

Question 27

Which system has the greater gravitational attraction between the two objects (if any)?

Accepted Answer

System B

Answer

System A

Answer

Same gravitational attraction fro System A and System B

Question 28

A low pressure system will bring what type of weather into an area?

Accepted Answer

clouds / precipitation

Answer

clear skies

Answer

fair weather

Answer

lots of sunshine

Question 29

Which of the following processes usually takes the longest amount of time?

Accepted Answer

An ocean basin forms between two land masses.

Answer

A storm system to move across the country

Answer

Hot lava to form new rock

Answer

Water vapor condenses on the outside of a can

Question 30

If we compare the temperature and pressure of Earth's mantle to the core, what differences can we expect as we move downward into Earth?

Accepted Answer

Both temperature and pressure increase.

Answer

Both temperature and pressure decrease.

Answer

Temperature decreases and pressure increases.

Answer

Temperature increases and pressure decreases.

Question 31

Why doesn't Massachusetts (MA) experience a lot of Earthquakes?

Accepted Answer

MA is not near any plate boundaries

Answer

MA is near a transform plate boundary

Answer

MA is over a Hotspot

Answer

MA is near a subduction zone

Question 32

What two processes would cause the height of a Mountain to DECREASE?

Accepted Answer

weathering and erosion

Answer

volcanic eruptions and landslides

Answer

tectonic collisions and earthquakes

Answer

sedimentation and flooding

Question 33

What process is occurring beneath the plates that helps the plates to move?

Accepted Answer

convection

Answer

condensation

Answer

magnetism

Answer

deposition

Question 34

Which of these factors does NOT influence climate?

Accepted Answer

longitude

Answer

latitude

Answer

elevation

Answer

distance from large body of water

Question 35

Wind is created by the movement of air from areas of...

Accepted Answer

high pressure to low pressure

Answer

low pressure to high pressure

Question 36

The climate of an area is effected by which of the following factors?

CHOOSE THREE.

Accepted Answer

Latitude

Accepted Answer

Altitude

Accepted Answer

Large bodies of water

Answer

Daily precipitation

Answer

Daily temperature changes

Question 37

Cutting down large forests (deforestation) can result in:

Accepted Answer

less plants to absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas

Answer

little to no changes

Answer

more homes for animals

Question 38

What do greenhouse gases do?

Accepted Answer

absorb Earth's outgoing radiation

Answer

reflect Earth's incoming infrared radiation

Answer

magnify ultraviolet radiation in the atmosphere

Answer

block the Sun's infrared radiation

Question 39

Which of the following is the best conclusion that can be made from this graph?

Accepted Answer

atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased steadily since 1960

Answer

atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have been decreasing since 1960

Answer

Hawaii has a lot of carbon dioxide

Answer

humans have been working hard to decrease carbon dioxide levels

Question 40

8.ESS.1.01 Which of the following best explains why seasonal variations in temperature are more extreme at location X than at location Y?

Accepted Answer

The angle of incoming solar radiation varies more at location X than at location Y.

Answer

The gravitational force is less at location X than at location Y.

Answer

The rotation of Earth has less effect on location X than on location Y.

Answer

The ocean moderates the average temperature more at location X than at location Y.

Question 41

8.ESS.1.02 An astronaut drops a hammer on the Moon, and a scientist drops an identical hammer on Earth. Both hammers are dropped from the same height. The hammer dropped on Earth falls to the ground faster than the hammer dropped on the Moon.

Why does the hammer on Earth fall faster than the hammer on the Moon?

Accepted Answer

Gravitational attraction is stronger on Earth than on the Moon because Earth has a larger mass.

Answer

Earth has a stronger magnetic field than the Moon because Earth orbits the Sun.

Answer

Earth has a stronger magnetic field than the Moon because Earth has an iron core.

Answer

Gravitational attraction is stronger on Earth than on the Moon because Earth rotates on its axis.

Question 42

8.ESS.1.02 The diagram shows the relative heights of ocean tides on Earth at a particular time. Which diagram shows one possible location of the Moon at the time when these tides occur?

Accepted Answer

Option B is correct

Answer

A.

Answer

C.

Answer

D.

Question 43

8.ESS.2.01 Which of the following processes created the high mountains of the Himalayas?

Accepted Answer

the collision of tectonic plates

Answer

glacial erosion

Answer

physical weathering

Answer

the deposition of sediments

Question 44

8.ESS.2.05 Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes, usually receives heavy snowfall during the winter. Snow often falls after a cold air mass passes through the area. This air mass tends to be colder than the lake water.

Which of the following best explains why snow falls over the lake after the air mass passes over it?

Accepted Answer

Snow falls from clouds that form when rising water vapor from the lake is cooled by the air mass and condenses.

Answer

The air mass pushes clouds over the lake, and snow falls from the clouds.

Answer

Snow falls when sinking air from the air mass is warmed by the lake water.

Answer

The air mass cools the surface of the lake, causing condensation to occur and snow to fall.

Question 45

The map below shows the locations of two cities. City Y is near the coast, and city Z is near the middle of a continent. The cities have the same elevation. Based on the map, which of the following statements describes how the climates of the two cities are most likely different?

Accepted Answer

City Y has cooler summers than city Z.

Answer

City Y receives less rain than city Z.

Answer

City Y has colder winters than city Z.

Answer

City Y receives more sunlight than city Z.

Question 46

Which of the following is most similar to the number of stars in a galaxy?

Accepted Answer

the number of galaxies in the universe

Answer

the number of layers that make up Earth

Answer

the number of stars in our solar system

Answer

the number of planets in our solar system

Question 47

The paths of two air masses, X and Y, are shown in the diagram below. Air mass X is a cold air mass. Air mass Y is a warm air mass. When the air masses meet, winter storms may be produced. Which of the following most likely contributes to the formation of these storms?

Accepted Answer

Warm air mass Y moves over cold air mass X, and condensation occurs.

Answer

Cold air mass X moves over warm air mass Y, and evaporation occurs.

Answer

Cold air mass X mixes with warm air mass Y, and the overall temperature increases.

Answer

Warm air mass Y mixes with cold air mass X, and the overall temperature decreases.

Question 48

The diagram represents the movement of the mantle under the earth's crust. Which process is represented by the diagram?

Accepted Answer

convection

Answer

rotation

Answer

conduction

Answer

radiation

8th Grade Earth Science MCAS Review

50 questions