Earth and Space Science CAST prep

The students make the following claim: “Farmers had to reduce the number of km2 of crops irrigated in 2017 due to a lack of water.”

Based on the data in the table, which statement best supports the claim that 'Farmers had to reduce the number of km² of crops irrigated in 2017 due to a lack of water'?

• The water shortage in San Joaquin was about twice the water shortage in Sacramento, and both regions had a large decrease in the number of km² irrigated.

• Even though there was a water shortage in the Central Coast region, most of the area of farmland was still irrigated.

• The region with the largest water shortage also had the greatest reduction in number of km² irrigated.

• The larger the water shortage, the smaller the decrease in the area of farmland irrigated.

Answer explanation

Reduction and decrease are synonyms. Irrigated means to water the land.

Looking at the data table. The higher the water shortage the Less land can be irrigated.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS3-1

A group of students is investigating how Earth’s internal and surface processes make many of Earth’s features. They decide to focus on the movement of tectonic plates for their investigation. The students use a sandbox model to mimic certain movements of continental plates that help shape Earth’s geologic features.

Click play to observe what happens in the model.

The feature shown is a ​ (a)   and is formed when two tectonic plates ​ (b)  

• trench
• rift valley
• crater
• diverge
• converge

Answer explanation

DIverge means to move apart, converge mean to come together In the model the plates move apart.

A rift is a separation, and valley is a depressed part of land surrounded by higher elation (mountains) land.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

NGSS.HS-ESS2-1

Based on the model, ocean acidification occurs because there is:

• less CO2 in the atmosphere than in the ocean

• more CO2 in the atmosphere than in the ocean

• less CO2 leaving the ocean than entering the ocean

• more CO2 leaving the ocean than entering the ocean

Answer explanation

Acids contain Hydrogen atoms and increase the H+ ions in water.

CO₂ + H₂O ---> H⁺ + HCO₂

H+ ion's make the aqueous environment acidic.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-6

NGSS.HS-LS2-5

Based on the graph, which method of obtaining copper is likely the most cost-effective?

• Using smelting has lower cleanup costs than bioleaching.

• Using smelting is cheaper and generates more profit than bioleaching.

• Bioleaching harvests the copper in a shorter time period than smelting.

• Bioleaching is more expensive at first but the returns are much higher than smelting.

Answer explanation

Find the change (difference) in cost to profit to determine the most cost effective

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS3-2

NGSS.HS-ETS1-3

A student is planning an experiment to determine how ice causes cracks in the rocks on a nearby hillside. The student decides to add different amounts of tap water to several plastic bottles. The student will mark the water level on each bottle and place the bottles inside a freezer overnight.

Select words from the lists to complete the sentences.

To determine the property of water that is mostly responsible for the formation of cracks in rocks by ice, the student should measure the change in ​ (a)   that occurs when water freezes. To better simulate the conditions under which the cracks from the nearby rocks, the students should use ​ (b)   instead of tap water

• Volume
• Temperature
• Mass
• rainwater
• distilled water
• salt water

Answer explanation

At 4^o C, water molecules begin to spread apart. The further apart the water molecules are the more space they take up (volume).

If liquid water seeps into the cracks of the rock and freeze they will break the rocks because they spread apart taking up more room.

You want to simulate the environment as best you can when conducting investigations.

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NGSS.HS-ESS2-5

Which improvement to plastic composite roads would have the most positive environmental impact on Earth systems?

• producing new plastic from fossil fuels to make new roads

• using recycled plastics to prevent them from reaching landfills

• designing plastic composite roads using sand instead of gravel

• substituting natural gas for coal to process the plastic to pave roads

Answer explanation

You don't want to produce new plastics, because we have a finite amount of fossil fuels and they impact the environment when burned and extracted.

You don't want to use sand because it's over used and exploited.

Natural gas is a fossil fuel.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS3-1

NGSS.HS-ESS3-4

NGSS.HS-ETS1-3

NGSS.HS-LS2-7

Based on the information given, Chose the phrases from the lists that best complete the sentence.

 

One advantage of plastic composite roads is that they ​ (a)   , while one disadvantage is that plastic composite roads ​ (b)  

• require less maintenance
• Use less material
• have a higher carbon footprint
• require fossil fuels
• are expensive
• can only be build in hot climates

Answer explanation

You don't want to produce new plastics, because we have a finite amount of fossil fuels and they impact the environment when burned and extracted.

You don't want to use sand because it's over used and exploited.

Natural gas is a fossil fuel.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS3-4

NGSS.HS-ETS1-3

Scientists are studying rock samples from the two locations shown on the map. Which two statements best explain why the rocks found at Location 1 are older than the rocks found at Location 2?

• Location 1 is farther from the tectonic plate boundary than Location 2.

• Continental crust forms at higher temperatures than oceanic crust.

• Rocks at Location 2 were found near where new crust is formed.

• Rocks at Location 1 were eroded by ocean waves.

• Continental crust is younger than oceanic crust.

Answer explanation

The video explain the different plate boundaries and what happens.

Basically as the plates move away from each magma rises up causing more crust to form. New crust is near the boundaries and older crust further from the boundries.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

NGSS.HS-ESS2-1

The graph shows the historical pH and a projected pH of ocean water and the concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) in the ocean over time. Refer to the graph to answer the following question:

A scientist claims that the pH of ocean water is decreasing as a result of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration. Is the information in the graph consistent with the claim and why?

• No, because an increase in atmospheric concentration of CO2 would result in an increase in pH.

• No, because an increase in atmospheric CO2 would result in a decrease of ocean CO2.

• Yes, because when atmospheric CO2 increase, more CO2 will dissolve in ocean forming carbonic acid which can cause a decrease in pH.

• Yes, because the pH is ameasure of the ratio of concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere to the concentration of CO2 in the ocean.

Answer explanation

Increase CO² in atmosphere Increase CO₂ in oceans.

CO₂ + H₂O --> H+ + HCO₃

Increase H+ decreases pH = acidification

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

Chose the words from the lists to describe which theory best explains the formation of the Moon based on evidence from the data provided.

The formation of Earth's Moon is best explained by the ​ (a)   theory based on the ​ (b)  

• Fission

• Capture

• Giant impact
• chemical composition
• age
• orbit

Answer explanation

The only theory that discussed how the moon is formed is Giant impact.

The evidence would be in composition (what it's made up of)

Assumption if we are made of the same stuff we must be related.

The answer is in the data table.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-6