Corcoran- Book G, Chapter 2:1-2:2 Quiz

The type of mechanical weathering in which rock is worn away by the grinding/scraping action of other rock particles is called what?

• erosion
• crackling and peeling
• abrasion
• ice wedging

Ice wedging causes mechanical weathering of rock by means of

• heating and cooling.
• plant growth.
• animal actions.
• freezing and thawing of water.

What kind of weathering causes the mineral composition of rocks to change (chemical change)?

• mechanical weathering
• permeable weathering
• chemical weathering
• general weathering

A hot and wet climate causes the rate of weathering to take place

• slowly.
• at the same rate as when the climate is dry and cool.
• unevenly.
• rapidly (quickly).

The most important factors in determining the rate of weathering are

• carbon dioxide and acid rain.
• abrasion and acids from plant roots.
• animal actions and oxygen.
• rock type and climate.

Soil formation begins with the weathering of ____

• litter.
• bedrock.
• the A horizon.
• humus.

The solid layer of rock beneath all the soil layers is called

• bedrock.
• gravel.
• the B horizon.
• subsoil.

The mixture of rock particles, minerals, decayed organic material, air, and water is called ________. It is also the loose, weathered material on Earth's surface in which plants can grow.

• gravel.
• litter.
• silt.
• soil.

Definition: Decomposers are soil organisms that

• store moisture in the soil.
• break down and digest the remains of dead organisms.
• make spaces in the soil for air and water.
• burrow deep below the topsoil.

What can cause the loss of soil that is not protected by plant cover?

• chemical weathering
• erosion by water and wind
• mechanical weathering
• too many organisms in the soil