Earth's Systems

Order the stages of the rock cycle into the correct order from the earliest (1) to the latest (2).

______ Solid rock is broken into pieces.

______ Rock goes back into the Earth and melts

______ Pieces harden into another kind of rock.

______ New rock emerges from inside the Earth.

______ Rock cools and hardens.

• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

• 3, 5, 4, 1, 2

• 2, 5,1, 4, 3

• 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

What is the relationship between the hydrosphere and the cryosphere?

• The hydrosphere is part of the cryosphere.

• The cryosphere is part of the hydrosphere.

• The hydrosphere contains water.

• There is no relationship of the two spheres.

If the hydrosphere changed, other spheres would be affected. What is one possible way that the biosphere might change?

• Increased rainfall would reduce the population.

• Lower lake levels would eliminate habitats.

• Higher lake levels would decrease the amount of available food.

• Reduced rainfall would reduce the amount of available food.

Braylon was studying about the Earth’s spheres at school. He thought about how he interacted with the spheres in his daily life. Explain and give an example of each way Braylon interacts with the spheres on a daily basis.

Isabella has been reading about different kinds of landforms. She lives in Florida and wants to learn more about the landforms in her state. What sorts of landforms does Florida have? Choose the three that apply.

A. coastline

B. mountains

C. dunes

D. rivers

E. glaciers

• A, C, D

• A, B, C

• C, A, B

• D, A, B

Caroline opened a map to complete her homework by identifying some of the landforms she had learned. She noticed a particular landform reaching from Florida all the way up to Massachusetts. What type of landform is this?

• plateau

• sand dunes

• coastal plain

• delta

Sarah learned that natural forces are normally either destructive, like a volcano, or constructive, like mountain ranges. However, she read that water can be considered both a constructive and destructive force. In what way can water be a destructive force?

• erosion of landforms

• depositing sediment

• forming a delta

• creating a lake

Daniel was working on a project that involved interactions between Earth’s spheres. He was researching the effects of forest fires for the project. If a forest fire started, what effects might it have on the different spheres? Explain the effects on the spheres and how, in their turn, these changes might affect the landforms.

Felix showed that certain elements of the geosphere and biosphere can affect the amount of water in the water cycle. In what ways do the geosphere and the biosphere add water to the water cycle? Choose the two that apply

A. Rain falls from the clouds.

B. Water evaporates from the soil.

C. Animals breathe.

D. Water evaporates from the ocean.

• A, B

• A, D

• C, D

• B, C

He showed his dad that water travels through all the spheres. Felix also showed him that the total amount of water on Earth has stayed the same. Why has the total amount of water in the water cycle remained constant?

• More water vapor condenses to keep the cycle in balance.

• More precipitation falls than can evaporate and condense.

• The rate of precipitation and evaporation are in balance.

• The rate of evaporation competes with the balance of precipitation.