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Worksheets3rd grade science semester 1 quiz
Total questions: 110
Worksheet time: 56mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Four friends each put hot cocoa in a mug. The cocoa that will cool the fastest is the one in the
a)
foam mug.
b)
metal mug.
c)
insulated mug.
d)
ceramic mug.
2.
Why is mica a mineral?
a)
It is rare on Earth.
b)
People mine it.
c)
It is made of rocks.
d)
It is a solid that has never been alive and is found in nature.
3.
Friction produces heat when two objects are
a)
mixed together.
b)
rubbed together.
c)
burned
d)
attracted to magnets.
4.
A new oven advertises that it loses less heat into the room than older ovens. What is the MOST LIKELY reason?
a)
It gets hotter.
b)
It has better insulation.
c)
It uses electricity.
d)
It does not get as hot.
5.
Pencils contain the mineral graphite. What property does graphite have that makes it useful in pencils?
a)
its shine
b)
its strength
c)
its low hardness
d)
its narrow shape
6.
Sandstones forms when layers of sand harden. What type of rock is it?
a)
igneous
b)
sedimentary
c)
metamorphic
d)
fossilized
7.
Where would you find the MOST humus?
a)
topsoil
b)
subsoil
c)
sandy soil
d)
bedrock
8.
Sandstones forms when layers of sand harden. What type of rock is it?
a)
igneous
b)
sedimentary
c)
metamorphic
d)
fossilized
9.
A metal roof gets very hot on a summer day. What is the source of the heat energy?
a)
sun
b)
air
c)
clouds
d)
weather
10.
People wear snowsuits to
a)
help thermal energy leave their bodies.
b)
keep heat outside of their bodies.
c)
block the flow of heat from the air to their bodies.
d)
decrease how much heat energy leaves their bodies.
11.
Why do scientists find fewer plant fossils than animal fossils?
a)
Plants cannot move the way animals do.
b)
Animal fossils form on Earth's surface, but plant fossils get buried.
c)
Plants never leave behind imprints.
d)
Plants have softer parts than animals, so fewer fossils form.
12.
Which feels smooth when you rub it between your fingers?
a)
loam
b)
clay soil
c)
silt soil
d)
sandy soil
13.
How does a cast fossil form?
a)
Mud fills an opening left after an animal decays.
b)
An animal steps in mud, leaving a footprint that hardens.
c)
Minerals replace the hard parts of the dead animal.
d)
A dead animal decays, leaving behind an opening shaped like its body.
14.
How old are most fossils that scientists study?
a)
about 100 years old
b)
about 500 years old
c)
about 1000 years old
d)
many thousands of years old
15.
The ______ test is when you rub a mineral on a white tile and observe the color left behind.
a)
hardness
b)
streak
c)
luster
16.
What type of rock forms by layers being squeezed together?
a)
sedimintary
b)
igneous
c)
metamorphic
17.
What do you call the movement of weathered rock and soil?
a)
weathering
b)
erosion
c)
motion
18.
How do you create friction?
a)
mixing chemicals together
b)
jumping up and down
c)
rubbing 2 sticks together
19.
Joey used an oven mitt to take something out of the oven that was hot. The oven mitt is an example of a ___________.
a)
conductor
b)
inductor
c)
insulator
20.
What do you call energy that comes from the sun?
a)
solar energy
b)
ray energy
c)
polar energy
21.
At what temperature does water freeze?
a)
0 degrees Fahrenheit
b)
0 degrees Celsius
c)
10 degrees Celsius
22.
Petrified wood forms when the soft part of a plant are replaced with what?
a)
minerals
b)
rocks
c)
wood
23.
What do you call something that was once living on Earth but now no longer found?
a)
dinosaurs
b)
exhibit
c)
extinct
24.
Where would you most likely find humus?
a)
near subsoil
b)
near the surface
c)
near bedrock
25.
What type of soil holds the most moisture?
a)
sand
b)
silt
c)
humus
26.
Why is quartz a mineral?
a)
It is a solid and has never been alive.
b)
You can find it anywhere.
c)
It's used to make glass.
d)
It's made of rocks.
27.
Why is granite a rock?
a)
It's beautiful and very strong.
b)
It's made of several minerals.
c)
It's used in buildings.
d)
It can be carved into statues.
28.
What might a scientist learn from a fern fossil?
a)
what color the fern was
b)
which animals ate the fern
c)
how ferns have changed
d)
which other plants lived in the same time
29.
How could you make loam?
a)
by mixing sand, silt, and clay
b)
by mixing sand, silt, clay, and humus
c)
by taking large pieces of rock out of some soil
d)
by breaking bedrock into tiny pieces and adding clay and silt
30.
How does erosion change soil?
a)
Erosion breaks soil into smaller pieces.
b)
Erosion carries soil from one place to another.
c)
Erosion causes cracks that break rocks into small pieces.
d)
Erosion helps clean soil.
31.
Which substance is the best insulator?
a)
copper
b)
iron
c)
silver
d)
wood
32.
What is bedrock?
a)
The movement of weathered rock.
b)
The hardest and lowest layer of soil.
c)
Loose material that covers much of Earth's surface.
33.
What is humus?
a)
The decayed remains of plants and animals.
b)
The loose material that covers much of Earth's surface.
c)
Something you eat!
34.
The more humus there is in the soil, the __________________ it is.
a)
saltier and greener
b)
lighter and unhealthier
c)
darker and richer
35.
Which layer of soil do plants usually grow in?
a)
topsoil
b)
subsoil
c)
bedrock
36.
What type of soil is made from a mixture of sand, silt, and clay?
a)
sand
b)
silt
c)
clay
d)
loam
37.
When soil is being formed, the first step is:
a)
weathering of rock
b)
mixing with humus
c)
mixing with air and water
38.
When soil is being formed, the first step is:
a)
weathering of rock
b)
mixing with humus
c)
mixing with air and water
39.
Soil takes many ________ to form.
a)
days
b)
months
c)
years
40.
This type of soil is made of larger pieces of rock and doesn't hold water well.
a)
loam
b)
clay
c)
silt
d)
sand
41.
This type of soil is usually red in color and is very sticky when it's wet.
a)
sand
b)
clay
c)
silt
d)
loam
42.
This type of soil is very slippery when wet.
a)
silt
b)
clay
c)
sand
d)
loam
43.
Why are nutrients good in the soil?
a)
they help the plants grow healthy
b)
they provide a place for the roots to grow
c)
they soak in all the water
44.
What does “decaying” or “decomposing” mean?
a)
The layer under the grass
b)
Breaking down or falling apart
c)
To grow new life
45.
Can an chicken bone decompose and become a part of the soil?
a)
Yes
b)
No
46.
Which of the following is a “tunneling creature” that helps turn the soil?
a)
birds
b)
Snakes
c)
Worms
d)
Wolf
47.
Can an apple core decompose and become a part of the soil?
a)
Yes
b)
No
48.
Which category does HUMUS belong in?
a)
Living
b)
Non-living
c)
Once living
49.
Which category does AIR belong in?
a)
Non-living
b)
Once living
c)
Living
50.
Which category does TREE ROOTS belong in?
a)
Living
b)
Non-living
c)
Once living
51.
What are the 3 layers of soil (in order from top to bottom) that we have learned?
a)
Subsoil, Bedrock, Topsoil
b)
Topsoil, Subsoil, Bedrock
c)
Topsoil, Humus, Tundra
52.
What is the layer of soil underneath the topsoil?
a)
Topsoil
b)
Bedrock
c)
Clay
d)
Subsoil
53.
What layer of soil is best for growing plants?
a)
Bedrock
b)
Subsoil
c)
Topsoil
d)
Humus
54.
What is soil?
a)
Pieces of sidewalk
b)
Bits of rotten plants, animals, and weathered rocks
c)
Leftovers from volcanoes
d)
Crushed up Oreos
55.
Topsoil, Subsoil, and Bedrock are what?
a)
The three main layers of soil
b)
Types of plants
c)
What houses are made of
d)
Charles' favorite foods
56.
The three types of soil are...
a)
clay, dust, and dirt
b)
mold, moss, and crust
c)
clay, sand, and silt
d)
sand, dust, and rust
57.
What color is soil?
a)
Hot pink
b)
Navy blue
c)
many colors (red, brown, gray, yellow, black, etc.)
d)
Sparkly
58.
Why is it important to protect TOPSOIL?
a)
It protects the layers underneath it.
b)
It is necessary for landscaping
c)
It grows plants and food
d)
It's expensive
59.
What is erosion?
a)
When wind, water, and weather change a natural substance over time
b)
When water gets into soil
c)
When it hails
d)
Snow that turns black.
60.
The material inside a heavy winter coat is called
a)
conduction
b)
conductor
c)
insulation
d)
insulator
61.
A potholder is an example of
a)
a conductor
b)
a conduction
c)
an insulator
d)
an insulation
62.
Rubbing your hands together is an example of
a)
friction
b)
heat
c)
thermal energy
d)
insulation
63.
To find out how hot something is, measure its
a)
heat
b)
thermal energy
c)
conduction
d)
temperature
64.
Which object produces (makes) heat?
a)
thermometer
b)
rug
c)
jacket
d)
fire
65.
A solar panel uses energy from what source?
a)
a campfire
b)
friction
c)
the sun
d)
electricity
66.
What is temperature?
a)
How hot or cold something is
b)
a number on a thermometer
c)
what I have when I am sick
d)
anything about 30 degrees
67.
What is the hardest mineral on the MOHS scale?
a)
copper
b)
apatite
c)
diamond
d)
talc
68.
The way a surface reflects light.
a)
Luster
b)
Streak
c)
Hardness
d)
Color
69.
When rocks are broken and moved by things such as water, this is called...
a)
Heat
b)
Erosion
c)
Metamorphisis
d)
Compaction
70.
Thermal energy ALWAYS moves from _____ to _____.
a)
solid to liquid
b)
ice to water
c)
hot to cold
d)
solid to gas
71.
What landform is this?
a)
plateau
b)
river
c)
plain
d)
valley
72.
Can you name this landform?
a)
peninsula
b)
island
c)
lake
d)
river
73.
Which color absorbs the most heat?
a)
white
b)
yellow
c)
black
d)
clear
74.
Which soil is best for growing cabbage?
a)
clay
b)
sand
c)
silt
d)
loam
75.
One source of heat is
a)
refrigerator
b)
sun
c)
book
d)
rocks
76.
Which list is in order from largest to smallest grains of soil?
a)
clay, sand , silt
b)
clay, silt, sand
c)
sand, clay, silt
d)
sand, silt, clay
77.
Which material would heat the quickest?
a)
wooden spoon
b)
plastic cup
c)
metal spoon
d)
ceramic mug
78.
A physical attribute of rocks
a)
shape, color, texture, size
b)
color, taste, shape
c)
hardness, taste, name
79.
How are rocks and soil changed? (Choose 2)
a)
wind and hurricanes
b)
water and wind
c)
erosion and weathering
d)
soil and minerals
80.
A natural, solid, non-living material made of minerals
a)
rock
b)
paper
c)
scissors
d)
minerals
81.
A rock is made out of
a)
minerals
b)
paper
c)
wood
d)
glass
82.
color, texture, size and patterns are all properties of
a)
rocks
b)
paper
c)
glass
d)
clouds
83.
Which is a property of a rock?
a)
all of the above
b)
color
c)
texture
d)
size
84.
Solid objects that have naturally occurring geometric forms (patterns).
a)
crystals
b)
grain
c)
core
d)
volcanic
85.
How do we identify minerals?
a)
by color and hardness
b)
by shape and size
c)
by height and weight
86.
A scientist who studies rocks is called a
a)
geologist
b)
paleantologist
c)
astronaut
87.
Which physical property requires no tools, scales, or other equipment to determine?
a)
Hardness
b)
Fracture
c)
Color
d)
Weight
88.
What word describes the material involved in a streak test?
a)
Fractured
b)
Powered
c)
Scratched
d)
Liquid
89.
Fossils are often found in this rock.
a)
Sedimentary Rock
b)
Metamorphic Rock
c)
Igneous Rock
90.
Luster is . . .
a)
The weight of a mineral.
b)
The way light reflects off of a mineral's surface.
c)
The way light reflects off of a rock's surface.
d)
The color left after a mineral is scratched.
91.
What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?
a)
A rock is an inconsistent mixture of minerals, while a mineral is "pure" and made up of a precise combination of chemicals.
b)
A mineral is an inconsistent mixture of minerals, while a rock is "pure" and made up of a precise combination of chemicals.
c)
A rock is harder than all minerals.
d)
Minerals contain fossils while rocks do not.
92.
Minerals have different properties to help scientists identify them. Which is NOT a property used to identify minerals?
a)
color
b)
hardness
c)
size
d)
luster
93.
What type of rock is pictured?
a)
Igneous
b)
Metamorphic
c)
Sedimentary
94.
A geologist is a scientist who studies_______.
a)
plants and animals
b)
fossils
c)
rocks and minerals
d)
ocean animals
95.
What mineral is the softest?
a)
quartz (7)
b)
mica (2)
c)
feldspar (6)
d)
talc (1)
96.
What was the purpose of the scratch test?
a)
to find if the rock contained calcite
b)
to find the hardness of the mineral
c)
to find the color
97.
A rock is...
a)
made of 2 or more minerals
b)
something found in nature
c)
something that can be broken with a hammer or chisel
d)
all answers
98.
Using the Mohs Hardness Scale (click the text to see the Scale), name two minerals harder than Fluorite.
a)
Talc and Calcite
b)
Gypsum and Quartz
c)
Quartz and Feldspar
d)
Diamond and Talc
99.
If a scientist states that piece of pyrite has a metallic shine, what property is he referring to for that rock?
a)
It's shape.
b)
It's luster.
c)
It's texture.
d)
It's hardness.
100.
1. Which substance makes up most of the Earth’s crust?
a)
sandstone
b)
humus
c)
rock
d)
saltwater
101.
True or False: Erosion refers to the movement of rock and soil to a new location.
a)
True
b)
False
102.
All rocks contain at least one mineral.
a)
True
b)
False
103.
What are the hardened remains of living things that died long ago?
a)
Extinct
b)
Fossils
c)
Metamorphic rock
d)
Minerals
104.
Why are there more animal fossils than plant fossils?
a)
Plants are bigger than animals.
b)
There were more ancient animals than plants.
c)
Animals would eat the plants.
d)
Plants have softer body parts than animals.
105.
I found a fossil that looked like footprints. What kind of fossil did I most likely find?
a)
Cast
b)
Trace
c)
Mold
d)
Igneous
106.
A fossil animal has a mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth. What can you infer about the animal?
a)
The animal only ate fruits and vegetables.
b)
The animal lived in the ocean.
c)
The animal is related to sharks.
d)
The animal ate meat.
107.
I found a fossil of a fish in what is now a cow pasture. How is that possible?
a)
Somebody put the fossil there.
b)
The wind moved the fossil there over time.
c)
The cow pasture used to be underwater.
d)
It would not be possible to find a fossil of a fish in a cow pasture.
108.
True or false: Some living things have not changed over millions of years.
a)
True
b)
False
109.
What part of an animal will most likely become a fossil?
a)
Muscle
b)
Eyelash
c)
Bone
d)
Ear
110.
What replaces the wood of a once-living tree to form petrified wood?
a)
Amber
b)
A mold
c)
A cast
d)
Minerals
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