Va Earth Science SOL practice

Why does a comet’s tail point away from the Sun?

• The solar wind blows the tail away from the Sun.

• It is being pulled by a nearby black hole.

• The Moon’s light only shines on part of the comet.

• The comet's tail is following the path of Jupiter

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

2 Cloudy nights can be warmer than clear nights because clouds trap heat —

• generated from tropical winds

• produced by the friction of air particles

• released from Earth's interior

• absorbed by the Earth during daylight hours

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

2 In the gold rush of 1849, prospectors found a yellow mineral that appeared to be gold, but was harder and more brittle than gold. What is this mineral that came to be called “fool’s gold”?

• Copper

• Sulfur

• Calcite

• Pyrite

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

2 Which provides the best evidence for the theory that faults and volcanoes are results of tectonic plate interactions?

• Faults on tectonic plates are in constant motion, but volcanoes may not erupt for many years.

• Faults and volcanoes existed long before there were tectonic plates

• Tectonic plates that have many faults do not usually have volcanoes.

• Faults and volcanoes are often found at tectonic plate boundaries.

2 Which of these is likely to occur after moist air is cooled below its dew point?

• Water condenses

• Evaporation increases

• Ice crystals melt

• Winds are generated

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

The breakdown of rocks and minerals into smaller particles without a change in composition is called —

• Igneous intrusion

• Chemical precipitation

• Mechanical weathering

• Metamorphic Foliation

Metamorphic rocks with a layered or banded look are called —

• Foliated

• Unfoliate

• Striated

• evaporated

In the jar shown, a sample of soil was mixed with water and then allowed to settle for 24 hours. The jar serves as a model for what process?

• Evaporation of water from a muddy pond

• Formation of soil from parent material

• Deposition of sediment in a lake bed

• Erosion of rock particles by water

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which recent geologic processes commonly occur in the Coastal Plain region of Virginia?

• Crustal uplift and deformation

• Rifting and intrusion

• Erosion and Deposition

• Subduction and Metamorphism

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Dramatic variations in the polar ice caps most likely suggest changes in —

• The Moon's Orbit

• The Earth's Climate

• The Ebb and Flow of Tides

• Global water consumption

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

NGSS.MS-ESS3-5