Earth Cycles & Life Over Time Review

Which of the following is NOT a natural resource?

• wood

• cotton

• oil

• plastic

• coal

Answer explanation

Plastic is a synthetic material made from petrochemicals, while wood, cotton, oil, and coal are all natural resources derived from the earth. Therefore, plastic is NOT a natural resource.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-3

A _____________________ is a natural resource that we can replace faster than we use it up.

• renewable resource

• nonrenewable resource

• synthetic material

• made made product

Answer explanation

A renewable resource is one that can be replenished naturally at a rate faster than it is consumed, such as solar energy or timber. In contrast, nonrenewable resources, like fossil fuels, take much longer to form.

ASPHALT: Rock or NOT Rock?

• Rock

• NOT Rock

Answer explanation

Asphalt is a mixture of bitumen and aggregates, primarily used in paving. It is not a naturally occurring rock but rather a man-made material, thus the correct answer is NOT Rock.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-3

What does naturally occurring mean?

• It means that it can't come from something once living.

• It means that it has a definite volume and shape. So, its particles are tightly packed together.

• I don't know.

• It means that the substance must occur in nature. So, it can't be created by humans.

Answer explanation

Naturally occurring means that a substance must exist in nature without human intervention. This distinguishes it from synthetic substances, which are created by humans.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-3

Although cement, brick, steel, and glass all come from substances found in the Earth’s crust, they are NOT classified as minerals because___________________.

• They are organic

• They have a crystalline structure.

• They can be a liquid

• They are not naturally occurring

Answer explanation

Cement, brick, steel, and glass are not classified as minerals because they are not naturally occurring; they are man-made materials, unlike true minerals which form through natural geological processes.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-3

True or False: Minerals make up rocks. 

• True

• False

Answer explanation

True. Minerals are the building blocks of rocks, as rocks are composed of one or more minerals. Therefore, the statement that minerals make up rocks is correct.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

Weathering is the process of -

• Moving sediment from one place to another

• Dropping or leaving sediment in a location

• Breaking down rocks into sediment

Answer explanation

Weathering is the process of breaking down rocks into smaller pieces, known as sediment. This distinguishes it from erosion, which involves the movement of sediment.

An example of chemical weathering is -

• Ice wedging

• Oxidation

• Animals burrowing

• Crashing waves

Answer explanation

Oxidation is a chemical weathering process where minerals react with oxygen, leading to changes in their composition. In contrast, ice wedging, animal burrowing, and crashing waves are physical weathering processes.

An example of physical weathering is -

• Plant roots and leaves releasing acids

• Carbonic acid dissolving limestone

• Large temperature changes

• Lichens growing on rocks

Answer explanation

Large temperature changes cause rocks to expand and contract, leading to physical weathering. This process breaks down rocks without changing their chemical composition, unlike the other options which involve chemical weathering.

Ice wedging is an example of -

• Physical weathering

• Chemical weathering

• Both physical AND chemical weathering

Answer explanation

Ice wedging occurs when water seeps into cracks, freezes, and expands, causing the rock to break apart. This process is a form of physical weathering, as it involves the mechanical breakdown of rocks without changing their chemical composition.