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WorksheetsEarth's Resources Review
Total questions: 26
Worksheet time: 35mins
Long ago, only natural fibers such as cotton and wool were available to make cloth. In the 20th century, synthetic fibers such as polyester were invented.
What is one way that synthetic fibers have changed society?
They are less expensive than natural fibers so they make products more available.
They are harder to make so they have limited the variety of products being sold.
They are engineered by humans so they are better materials for all applications.
They are available in unlimited amounts without depleting natural resources.
The map shows the estimated depth of groundwater for areas of the African continent. The depths are described in meters below ground level (mbgl).
In which area on the map would it be easiest for a village to use groundwater as a source of drinking water?
Area A
Area B
Area C
Area D
What is the main source of raw material for the production of plastics?
clay
plants
petroleum
sand
Synthetic fibers, such as nylon and rayon, have replaced a natural fiber, silk, for many uses.
Which of these is most likely one of the reasons for this replacement?
Natural fibers make a cloth that cannot be cut into shapes as easily as synthetic fibers.
Natural fibers have more limited availability than synthetic fibers.
Synthetic fibers do not require using natural resources.
Synthetic fibers can be woven into cloth at a faster rate.
A scientist discovered a chemical compound in the bark of a tree that only grows in a few forest areas. Doctors tested the compound and found that it was a good treatment for certain types of cancer. After the structure of the compound was known, other scientists worked to develop a way to make a synthetic version of the compound.
Which of these is an important advantage of the synthetic compound compared to the natural compound?
Synthetic compounds are more effective than natural medicines, so they provide better results.
It is always less expensive to make a synthetic compound than a natural compound, so more people can afford the medicine.
The synthetic compound does not deplete a very limited natural resource, so it is more sustainable.
Synthetic compounds are always more stable than natural compounds, so they can be stored for later use.
Virginia’s Valley and Ridge province has many limestone and dolomite rock layers.
How could the composition of these layers affect the groundwater stored in the aquifer in this province?
Over time, acidic water could dissolve the rock, creating larger spaces and increasing the volume of groundwater storage
Over time, acidic water could dissolve the rock, collapsing spaces and decreasing the volume of groundwater storage.
Over time, acidic water could leach toxins from the rock, contaminating the water and making it unusable.
Over time, acidic water could leach ions from the rock, decreasing the pH of the water and making it more drinkable.
The graph shows water table levels in an aquifer changing over a period of time.
Which most likely caused the changes observed in the data over time?
increase in the amount of precipitation
increase in water conservation efforts
decrease in the amount of recharge
decrease in irrigation for farming
Carbon fiber composites are synthetic materials that are made by combining carbon fibers with a hardened resin. These materials are very strong and easily formed into specific shapes.
Which of these considerations makes carbon fiber composites particularly useful as construction materials for parts used in certain types of airplanes?
They are more expensive than many alternative materials.
They weigh much less than other materials of the same strength.
They are synthetic materials built in manufacturing facilities.
They can be manufactured in many colors by adding dyes to the resin.
People make clothing using fibers that come from natural materials and from synthetic materials. How do these materials differ from one another?
Natural fibers are produced from materials made by plants or animals while synthetic fibers are produced by chemical changes to raw materials.
Natural fibers form threads that are woven to form cloth while synthetic fibers are linked together chemically to form cloth.
Natural fibers and synthetic fibers both come from plant sources but synthetic fibers are modified chemically to become stronger.
Natural fibers are not colored with dye but synthetic fibers are dyed many colors.
Which statement describes most groundwater?
Groundwater is found in underground lakes, rivers, and streams.
Groundwater is found in the spaces between rocks, gravel, and sand.
Groundwater is isolated from surface water and moves in its own cycle.
Groundwater is sequestered below the surface for years or decades at a time.
What is one reason that a builder would use a synthetic material, such as concrete, instead of quarried stone in the construction of a building?
Concrete is more expensive than stone, so it is more desirable.
Concrete weighs more than the same amount of stone, so it is stronger
Concrete is a synthetic material, so its use does not deplete natural resource
Concrete can be readily poured into a desired shape, so it is easier to work with.
Examine the diagram.
What does the diagram show?
a meteor impact creating a crater and revealing fossil and mineral resources
an earthquake occurring due to pressure between tectonic plates
rainwater traveling through layers of rock to form an aquifer
the distribution of fossil fuels due to the presence of geologic features
Synthetic gas, a combination of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide, is produced by treating coal with steam and oxygen at a high temperature. This mixture can be used as a combustion fuel instead of methane or natural gas.
How does synthetic gas differ from natural gas? (and how it's made)
Natural gas is a better fuel because it occurs inside Earth, but synthetic gas is manufactured by people.
Natural gas is used without modification, but synthetic gas must be mixed with oxygen before it can be burned.
Natural gas is a limited natural resource, but synthetic gas is manufactured so it does not deplete a natural resource.
Natural gas is used as it is obtained from Earth, but synthetic gas is made by chemical modification of a natural product.
In the early 1900s, Fritz Haber, a German chemist, developed a way to make ammonia from nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere. Ammonia compounds are important fertilizers for farmers. Before the Haber process was developed, the primary source of ammonia compounds was animal waste materials.
How did the Haber process lead to increased farm yields?
Synthetic ammonia compounds are better for plants than naturally occurring compounds.
The use of the Haber process allows animals to be used as food instead of using them to produce fertilizer.
The Haber process uses nitrogen from the air so plants can use its products faster than ammonia from other sources.
Synthetic ammonia compounds are available in greater quantities than naturally occurring compounds.
Cement is made by heating natural limestone in a kiln and then grinding the product to a powder. Cement is an ingredient used in making concrete. Concrete is made by combining water, powdered cement, and either sand or gravel. After the ingredients are mixed, the concrete releases heat and changes from a thick flowing mixture to a hard solid.
Based on this information which statement correctly describes concrete?
Concrete is a synthetic material because the cement is made from limestone.
Concrete is not a synthetic material because the reaction occurs by itself once the ingredients are mixed.
Concrete is a synthetic material formed by a chemical reaction after the ingredients are mixed.
Concrete is not a synthetic material because all of its components come from natural resources.
Students at a school start a natural resources campaign to create awareness about the benefits of paper recycling. Which natural resource are the students helping to conserve?
coal
grass
trees
oil
A factory has started to use plant and animal waste as a fuel to power turbines.
What is the benefit of using such an energy source?
It helps conserve fossil fuels.
It helps recycle energy sources.
It promotes the reuse of non-renewable resources.
It reduces the dependence on renewable resources.
Which object is considered a geologic resource?
cotton
mineral
tree
water
Which factor determines whether an energy resource is renewable or nonrenewable energy?
whether or not the resource can be sold to people for money
the types of energy conversions involved in forming the resource
the amount of pollution produced from obtaining and using the resource
the ratio of the rate at which it is used to the rate at which it is replenished
Sometimes a renewable resource can be considered nonrenewable because it is used up faster than it can be replenished. Which description is an example of this?
solar energy being used to provide electricity to a home
water in streams replaced by rainfall from the atmosphere
forests being cut down at a quicker rate than they can grow
coal supply dwindling because it takes millions of years to form
Which of the following is a valid explanation for why synthetic materials are used?
Synthetic materials help meet society’s demands for materials that are in short supply in nature.
Synthetic materials always biodegrade easily.
Synthetic materials do not require any natural resources to produce.
Synthetic materials are less artificial than natural resources.
Why is water considered a renewable resource?
Because it is abundant and found everywhere on Earth.
Because it can be easily created in a laboratory.
Because its supply is unlimited and it does not get used up.
Because it is part of a natural cycle and is replenished by processes like rain and snow.
In some areas people are concerned about running out of fresh water.
Which statement describes the least expensive way to solve this problem?
Make canals to move water from one area to another.
Decrease use of water to match the rate of aquifer replenishment.
Modify farming practices to reduce the rate of soil erosion.
Build dams in order to create large reservoirs along rivers.
Natural resources are?
Resources that exist within the environment without humans having to intervene, or put them there.
Resources that exist within the environment through due to human actions.
Organic substrates found deep within the earth's lithosphere
What is the primary disadvantage of using nonrenewable resources?
They are abundant
They are expensive to extract
They can be depleted
They are environmentally friendly
Why might a company choose to use synthetic fibers instead of natural fibers in their products?
Synthetic fibers can be produced in larger quantities without depleting resources
Synthetic fibers are more environmentally friendly than natural fibers
Synthetic fibers are always more durable than natural fibers
Synthetic fibers are easier to dye than natural fibers
