Fast and Slow Changes to Earth's Surface

A student placed some clean rocks in a clear plastic jar. The jar was filled with clean water and covered with a lid. Then the student shook the jar for five minutes. The student noted that smaller pieces had broken off some of the rocks and that there was a fine grit on the bottom of the jar. Which change of Earth’s surface was the student modeling?

• Physical weathering

• Chemical weathering

• Erosion of sediments

• Forming deltas

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

The Davis Mountains in West Texas used to be taller than they are now. Which of the following conditions most likely caused the mountains to become shorter over time?

• Heat and pressure

• Soil deposition

• Rain and wind

• River formation

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which of the following is an example of erosion?

• Wind blowing across a field and picking up dust and small rocks

• Sediment falling to the bottom of a lake or ocean

• The breaking up of rocks due to the effects of freezing water

• The formation of stalactites in underground caves

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

What two forces are the main agents of erosion?

• Deposition and weathering

• Gravity and evaporation

• Precipitation and gravity

• Moving wind and moving water

Water in the form of ice is responsible for which form of weathering listed below?

• A glacier creating a valley

• Rivers depositing sediments

• Earthquakes creating mountains

• Wind carving formations in rock

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Sam poured water on a pile of dirt and observed that some dirt eroded from the pile. Which question could he test to learn more about erosion?

• How long will the dirt stay wet?

• What types of animals live in the dirt?

• Will adding more water change the type of dirt?

• Do different types of dirt wash away at different rates?

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Tyrone put two stones in a plastic bottle of water and shook it. After he stopped shaking the bottle, he observed that small pieces of the stones were floating in the water. What is the best prediction he can make based on this observation? If shaking the bottle causes pieces of stones to break off—

• then using cold water will break off more pieces

• then using hot water will make the stones change colors

• then shaking for a longer amount of time will break off more pieces

• then shaking for a shorter amount of time will make the rocks change colors

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

The change in the sea cliff pictured below was most likely caused by –

• deposition and erosion

• precipitation and glaciers

• weathering and erosion

• evaporation and precipitation

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

process that moves sediments from one place to another

• deposition
• weathering
• erosion
• landform

when sediments are deposited or dropped off

• weathering
• deposition
• erosion
• landform