Minerals and Rocks Unit Test

Choose the correct order of the Earth's layers.

• Crust, Outer Core, Mantle, Inner Core
• Mantle, Crust, Inner Core, Outer Core
• Inner Core, Outer Core, Crust, Mantle
• Crust, Mantle, Outer Core, Inner Core

Scientists are able to make observations and inferences about what is below the crust of Earth by using scientific evidence. Which of these are examples of evidence that scientists use to discover what the layers of Earth’s crust are like? Choose the TWO that apply.

• fossils
• X-rays
• seismic waves
• samples of rock
• digging below the surface

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Temperature and pressure change as a space shuttle blasts off and travels away from Earth’s surface. Temperature and pressure also change as a diver sinks deep beneath the surface of the ocean. How do temperature and pressure change as you travel through the layers beneath the surface of Earth? Choose the words to finish the sentence. The closer that you get to Earth’s core, the temperature _________________ and the pressure ______________.

• increases; decreases
• decreases; increases
• increases; increases
• decreases; decreases

Camilo and his parents travel to Yellowstone National Park for a vacation. They read that below Yellowstone National Park lies a supervolcano that is responsible for small earthquakes and hotspot activity in the area. Volcanoes extend so deep below Earth’s surface that they reach down to the next layer. Which is the second layer of Earth?

• crust
• inner core
• outer core
• mantle

Camilo and his parents travel to Yellowstone National Park for a vacation. They read that below Yellowstone National Park lies a supervolcano that is responsible for small earthquakes and hotspot activity in the area. How can scientists be sure of what is below Yellowstone National Park? Choose the TWO statements that apply.

• They use seismic waves
• They use models
• They observe rocks
• They use x-rays

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-PS4-2

Benny uses a compass to navigate his way through the woods when he is camping. The needle on the compass reacts to Earth’s magnetic field by always pointing north. Which part of Earth is responsible for creating its magnetic field?

• crust
• inner core
• mantle
• outer core

Heat energy is transferred on Earth by the processes of convection, conduction, and radiation. How does heat energy cause materials to move during convection? Choose the TWO statements that apply.

• It causes colder materials to rise.
• It causes denser materials to sink.
• It causes warmer materials to sink.
• It causes less dense materials to rise.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

Read the sentences that describe forces that cause change to Earth’s surface. Choose the words to finish each sentence. The force of _________ pulls sediment downhill and can cause an alluvial fan to form. __________ is a force that transports very fine rock sediment from place to place and can deposit it to form a dune.

• gravity; wind
• gravity; water
• water; water
• water; wind

Van finds a metamorphic rock as he is exploring a small ravine near his house. Metamorphic rock is a type of rock that has gone through a change that has turned it into a different type of rock. Which processes can cause rocks to change to metamorphic rock? Choose the TWO that apply.

• breaking
• crushing
• deposition
• heat
• pressure

Marcie is hiking in the mountains and she discovers an interesting shiny rock. As she picks it up she wonders whether it could be a mineral or whether it is just a rock. She notes that it is solid and naturally occurring with a definite chemical composition, but that it has no definite crystal structure. Suppose the object Marcie found is a rock formed by volcanic processes. What type of rock would it be?

• igneous
• metamorphic
• sedimentary
• mineral