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Earth Science Final Exam Study Guide
Name
First Semester – 2010
Class
Date
1. At Namni Middle School, students must keep their shirts tucked at all times. Nick and Will feel that this rule
adversely affects student performance. In other words, they think students get bad test grades because of this
rule. With Ms. Kninnun’ permission, they set up an experiment where Team 6B students are allowed to wear
their shirts untucked for one full week before and during the test. During this time period and during the test,
Team 6A and Team 6C had to continue wearing tucked-in shirts. For this problem, formulate an appropriate
hypothesis:
a.
and identify the following:
b. Independent (Manipulated) Variable
c. Dependent ( Responding) Variable
d. Control
e. Variable plotted on the x-axis
f. Variable plotted on the y-axis
2. Describe the difference between a Scientific Fact and a Scientific Theory.
3. Identify and define the five steps of the scientific method.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
4. In case of a fire, a chemical spill, or an injury, what is a student’s first course of action?
5. How do geologists classify rocks?
6. Name 5 examples of each of the following rock classifications:
a. Metamorphic
b. Sedimentary
c. Igneous
7. For the igneous rocks above, circle those that are intrusive.
8. In order, identify and name the steps that lead to a sedimentary rock.
a.
b.
c.
d.
9. Name three catastrophic events that are caused by tectonic plate movement.
10. Draw a diagram of the Rock Cycle including the rock classifications and the processes that creates each one.
11. What four pieces of evidence are used to support Alfred Wegener’ Theory of Plate Tectonics?
a.
c.
b.
d.
12. Draw the positions of the Sun , moon, and Earth during Solar and Lunar Eclipses and name the moon phase
during each.
13. Why does the apparent shape of the moon change over the course of a 28 day period?
14. In order, draw and label the eight phases of the moon. Make sure that the part of the moon that we cannot see
is shaded.
15. If a new moon occurred on January 1, on what dates would you expect to see a first quarter moon
a full moon
, a third (last) quarter moon
, and the next new moon
16. Explain the Theory of Continental Drift.
17. What phenomena creates the “Ring of Fire” and what geological events occur their?
,
?
18. How are the convection currents that set up in the asthenosphere similar to the convection currents that we set
up by heating water in a beaker over a candle?
19. What do the convection currents in the asthenosphere cause on the Earth’s surface?
20. Explain the term magnetic reversal, where it is located, and the relative age of rocks at this location.
21. Draw a convergent boundary, a divergent boundary, a transform boundary, and a subduction zone.
22. Draw a cross section of the Earth showing each of the following:
Crust
Mantle
Outer Core
Inner Core
Lithosphere
Asthenosphere
Moho Boundary
23. In the blank space after each of the layers listed above state the composition and weather it is molten or solid.
24. How do temperature, density, and pressure change with depth?
25. Explain difference between rotation and revolution and how long is each for the moon and the Earth.
26. What would happen if the speed of revolution increased or decreased and if the speed of rotation increased or
decreased?
27. Draw a picture of the Earth’s orbit around the sun showing the inertial and gravitational forces. Explain how
these two forces work together to keep Earth in its elliptical orbit.
28. What is the relationship between mass, distance, and gravity?
29. Explain the difference between asteroids, meteoroids, and comets.
30. What is the progression of a meteoroid as it falls to Earth?
31. Explain the differences between the inner and outer planets.
32. Describe the sequence of events that make up the formation of our Universe and our solar system.
33. Define the two predominate theories that describe the position of bodies in our solar system and the names of
the astronomers that supported each.
a.
b.
34. What does a light year measure?