wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Earth Science Benchmark Review

Total questions: 58

Worksheet time: 30mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

If the Earth's orbit around the sun were to slow down, what would happen to the length of the seasons?

a)

They would remain the same.

b)

They would be longer.

c)

They would be shorter.

d)

There would only be two seasons.

2.

How many days after the full moon appears in the sky will you expect to see the new moon?

a)

5

b)

10

c)

15

d)

20

3.

Which characteristics do all inner planets have in common?

a)

They all have rings.

b)

They all have many moons.

c)

They all have an abundance of hot lava.

d)

They are all small and have rocky surfaces.

4.

This element makes up 78% of the Earth's atmosphere.

a)

oxygen

b)

nitrogen

c)

water

d)

carbon dioxide

5.

Which of the following is not true of local winds?

a)

They are created by unequal heating.

b)

They blow steadily over long distances.

c)

They can occur on land and sea.

d)

They occur within a small area.

6.

Heat transfer between two substances that are in contact is called _______________.

a)
conduction
b)

convection

c)

radiation

d)

thermal energy

7.

When rocks on the shoreline have worn away from the crashing of waves, _______________ has occurred.

a)
erosion
b)

deposition

c)

soil conservation

d)

abrasion

8.

_______________ weathering causes the mineral composition of rocks to change.

a)
chemical
b)

mechanical

c)

general

d)

permeable

9.

Which of the following is not a part of the water cycle?

a)

evaporation

b)

condensation

c)

precipitation

d)

irrigation

10.

Most of the Earth's freshwater is located in _______________.

a)
glaciers
b)


oceans

c)

wells

d)

lakes

11.

The deflection of water and wind to the left and right based on the rotation of the Earth is called _______________.

a)

El Niño

b)

the Coriolis effect

c)

longshore drift

d)

moon's gravity

12.


When two oceanic plates collide and one sinks beneath the other, a(n) _______________ is formed.

a)

earthquake

b)

hot spot

c)

island arc

d)

vent

13.

Compared to P waves and S waves, surface waves move _______________.

a)


faster

b)

slower

c)

at the same speed

d)

along the surface

14.


A _______________ force slowly wears away mountains and other features on the surface of Earth.

a)

destructive

b)

constructuve

c)

magnetic

d)

natural

15.


Which of the following is not a fossil fuel?

a)

coal

b)

electricity

c)

oil

d)

natural gas

16.

Which of the following is an advantage of solar energy?

a)

It will not run out for billions of years.

b)

It is not available at night.

c)

No backup energy sources are needed.

d)

It must be collected from a huge area.

17.

Which supports the idea Alfred Wegener had that land was once joined together?

a)

evidence from fossils

b)

evidence from land features

c)

evidence from climate change

d)

all of the above

18.


_______________ is the process by which the ocean floor sinks beneath a deep-ocean trench and back into the mantle.

a)

conduction

b)

convention

c)

subduction

d)

continental drift

19.

A place where two plates move apart from each other is known as a _______________.

a)

convergent boundary

b)

transform boundary

c)

divergent boundary

d)

rift valley

20.


_______________ refers to how light is reflected from a mineral's surface.

a)

luster

b)

streak

c)

hardness

d)

fracture

21.

Which of the following best describes a characteristic of igneous rocks?

a)

They often contain fossils.

b)

They are changed by heat and pressure.

c)

They are often deposited in layers

d)


They form when magma or lava cools and crystallizes.

22.


_______________ rocks have their grains arranged in parallel layers or bands.

a)

non-foliated

b)


foliated

c)

conglomerate

d)

chemical

23.


_______________ is the hardest known mineral.

a)


quartz

b)

sapphire

c)

gold

d)

diamond

24.

Which of the following are true of fossils?

a)

They can tell you how an animal lived.

b)

They can tell you what an animal ate.

c)

They can tel you their relationship to other organisms.

d)

All of the above.

25.

Which kind of front is described as a warm mass meets a cold mass but neither have enough force to move one another?

a)

occluded

b)

warm

c)

stationary

d)

cold

26.

An intense tropical storm that forms over warm ocean water is referred to as _______________.

a)


cyclone

b)

hurricane

c)

tornado

d)

thunder

27.


The average, year-after-year conditions of temperature, precipitation, winds, and cloud in an area are known as its _______________.

a)

seasons

b)

weather

c)

climate

d)

global warming

28.


Gases in the air hold much of the energy that is radiated from Earth's surface in a process called the _______________.

a)

the greenhouse effect

b)

the accordion effect

c)


the Doppler effect

d)

the Hawking effect

29.

The daily rise and fall of water on Earth's coastlines are called tides.

a)

True

b)

False

30.

The major volcanic belt that circles the Pacific Ocean is called "Ring of Flames."

a)

True

b)

False

31.


The energy generated by moving water in rivers is called solar energy.

a)

True

b)

False

32.


Igneous rocks that formed beneath Earth's surface are intrusive rocks.

a)


True

b)

False

33.

High pressure can change an igneous rock into a sedimentary rock.

a)

True

b)

False

34.

Occluded fronts occur when a warm air mass is caught between two cooler air masses.

a)

True

b)

False

35.

A tornado is a long-lasting storm that begins over the warm surface of the ocean and has winds of 119 kilometers per hour or higher.

a)

True

b)

False

36.

List the following phases of the moon in the order in which they occur, beginning with the new moon:

(a)  

37.


Which two of the following moon phases are gibbous moons?

(a)  

38.


Identify the parts of the wave using the following diagram:

a)

A. Crest

B. Amplitude

C. Wavelength

D. Trough

b)

A. Trough

B. Wavelength

C. Amplitude

D. Crest

c)

A. Crest

B. Wavelength

C. Trough

D. Amplitude

d)

A. Trough

B. Amplitude

C. Wavelength

D. Crest

39.

Using the following illustration, in which category would you expect to see a decrease if droughts continue to occur each year?

a)

Cropland Use

b)

Forest Use

c)

Pasture and Range Use

d)

Special Use

40.

​Which layer of the soil profile would be affected the most by weathering and erosion?

a)

1

b)

2

c)

3

d)

4

41.

Which soil horizon contains organic matter on the surface?

a)


Horizon R

b)

Horizon C

c)


Horizon O

d)

Horizon B

42.

The process that transports rocks, soil and sediments to a different location is called __________.

a)

Erosion

b)

Deposition

c)

Chemicals

d)

Weathering

43.


Which of the following statements about Earth, the Milky Way galaxy, and the solar system are true?

a)

Earth is part of the solar system.

b)

The Milky Way galaxy is within the solar system.

c)

The solar system is within the Milky Way galaxy.

d)

The Milky Way galaxy is just one of many galaxies in the universe.

44.


 True or False: Our current held model of the Solar System is heliocentric, meaning that the Sun is at the center of our Solar System and that all of the other planets revolve around it.

a)


True

b)

False

45.

As the distance between objects increases, the force of gravity between them --------

a)

Decreases

b)

Increases

46.


Tides are caused by

a)

strong winds that blow over ocean waters.

b)

the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun.

c)

the shifting of the plates on the ocean floor.

d)

changes in the salinity of the ocean water.

47.

How does salinity relate to density?

a)

Increasing salinity decreases density.

b)

Decreasing salinity increases density.

c)

Increasing salinity increases density.

d)

Salinity does not change the density.

48.


A _______________ occurs when the moon casts a shadow on earth and a ________________ occurs when the earth casts a shadow on the moon. 

a)


lunar eclipse; solar eclipse

b)

solar eclipse; lunar eclipse

c)


solar eclipse; stellar eclipse

d)


stellar eclipse; lunar eclipse

49.

Ocean currents influence weather. Which ocean current directly affects the weather along the southernmost coast of the eastern United States?

Choose the correct answer.

a)


Gulf Stream

b)

Monsoon Current

c)


North Atlantic Drift

d)

South Pacific Equatorial Current

50.

​What landform forms when an oceanic plate subducts under a continental plate

a)

ridges

b)

trenches

c)

valleys

d)

plateau

51.

Air masses flow from _____  pressure to ______   pressure.

a)

high, low

b)

low, high

52.


An air mass forms over the Gulf of Mexico and moves northeast across Georgia.  What weather conditions are likely to prevail in Georgia?

a)

cool and dry

b)

warm and dry

c)

cool and humid

d)

warm and humid

53.

What type of front is approaching Georgia?

a)

Warm Front

b)

Cold Front

c)

Occluded Front

d)

Stationary Front

54.

What is the current pressure system in Georgia?

a)

High

b)

Low

55.


How would increasing the mass of the Earth impact Earth's gravitational pull on the moon?

a)

Increasing the mass of Earth would not affect the gravitational pull on the moon.

b)

Increasing the mass of Earth would decrease the gravitational pull on the moon.

c)

Increasing the mass of Earth would increase the gravitational pull on the moon.

d)

Increasing the mass of Earth would reverse the gravitational pull on the moon.

56.


Of the planets in the Solar System, which planet's relative size is closest to Earth's?

a)

Mercury

b)


Venus

c)

Mars

d)


Jupiter

57.

Which layer of the atmosphere does weather take place?

a)

Mesosphere

b)


Troposphere

c)


Thermospshere

d)

Exosphere

58.


What factor most influences the movement of deep ocean currents?

a)

Differences in water density

b)

The Coriolis Effect

c)


Continental Deflection

d)

Global Winds