Unit 4- APES

Students want to determine how vegetation affects soil erosion. They collect four soil samples of equal starting mass with different types of vegetative cover, as seen in the table below. Each sample is placed in a three-sided plastic dish that can drain into a beaker and is exposed to the same amount of consistent, steady rainfall for ten minutes. The water and soil runoff are collected in the beaker and separated. The average values for each sample are provided below.

Which of the following is the control group for this experiment?

• Soil with no grass

• Soil with newly sprouted grass

• Soil with mature grass

• Soil with dead grass

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Students want to determine how vegetation affects soil erosion. They collect four soil samples of equal starting mass with different types of vegetative cover, as seen in the table below. Each sample is placed in a three-sided plastic dish that can drain into a beaker and is exposed to the same amount of consistent, steady rainfall for ten minutes. The water and soil runoff are collected in the beaker and separated. The average values for each sample are provided below.

Which of the following is a dependent variable in the experiment?

• The type of soil

• Initial mass of the soil sample

• Percent change in mass of the soil sample

• Amount of rainfall the soil receives

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

A group of students wanted to determine if soil texture can vary by location. Several students brought in a sample of soil from their backyards. Each student added their soil sample of equal mass to a jar with exactly the same amount of water, shook the contents so that all soil particles were suspended in the water, and left the jars covered overnight. The next morning, the soil particles had settled out into layers and students could determine the percentage of each type of particle. The results of their soil test are shown below.

Which of the following describes the independent variable in this investigation?

• Percentage of each particle size in each soil sample

• Soil samples taken from different locations

• Time required for each soil sample to settle

• Addition of water to each soil sample

Which of the following abiotic factors, when graphed on the x-axis, leads to the curved line in the graph due to variation in the different layers of the atmosphere?

• Nitrogen (N2) concentration gradients

• Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration gradients

• Temperature gradients

• Ultraviolet radiation gradients

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

The vast majority of ozone (O3) is found in a thin layer due to a lack of circulation in which of the following atmospheric layers?

• Thermosphere

• Mesosphere

• Stratosphere

• Troposphere

A model of prevailing wind patterns around the world is shown in the diagram below.

Which of the following is the best explanation for the deflection of the trade winds in both hemispheres, as seen in the diagram above?

• The wind is deflected east because of varying landmasses at the latitudes.

• The wind is deflected east because of the waves in the ocean.

• The wind is deflected west because of the mountains that the air encounters as the wind moves north or south.

• The wind is deflected west because of Earth’s rotation.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

The Atacama Desert lies to the west of the Andes Mountains in northern Chile. It is the oldest, most consistently arid place in the world.

Based on the map above, which of the following best explains why the Atacama Desert has a consistently arid climate?

• It is on the windward side of the Andes Mountains.

• It is in the rain shadow of the Andes Mountains.

• The cold Peru Current brings dry air to the west coast.

• Compared to the east coast, it has less water available.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Which of the following statements best describes the boundary between the two tectonic plates seen in the map?

• The map illustrates a convergent boundary, where tectonic plates collide, and the North American Plate is sliding under the Pacific Plate.

• The map illustrates a divergent boundary, where two tectonic plates are moving away from each other, creating a rift valley.

• The map illustrates a transform boundary, where tectonic plates slide past each other as the Pacific Plate moves northwest and the North American Plate moves southeast.

• The map illustrates a subduction zone at the boundary, leading to the formation of long chains of volcanoes.

The Atlantic Ocean is expanding as a result of plate tectonics. Which of the following explanations best identifies the type of plate boundary and processes occurring at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, as shown in the diagram below?

• A divergent plate boundary exists at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where plates move away from one another, leading to seafloor spreading.

• A transform plate boundary exists at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where two plates slide alongside one another, leading to underwater earthquakes.

• A convergent plate boundary exists at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where one plate of oceanic crust is subducted beneath a plate made of continental crust, leading to volcanism.

• A convergent plate boundary exists at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where two plates of continental crust meet, leading to the formation of mountain ranges.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

The Mississippi watershed is the largest in North America, draining all or part of thirty-two states in the United States and two Canadian provinces. A new apartment complex is being built on a steep slope near the source of the Mississippi River outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Which of the following measures should be taken to best reduce erosion at the construction site to protect the Mississippi watershed?

• Add a paved surface at the top of the slope.

• Remove trees and shrubs from the slope and the riverbank.

• Move all of the topsoil from the site to the riverbank.

• Plant grass and shrubs on the slope.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-5

NGSS.MS-ETS1-3