Unit Test - Earth's Systems
Earth's Layers, Rock Cycle, Minerals, and Plate Tectonics
Learning Objectives
Describe the layers of the Earth and their properties, including composition, state of matter, and relative thickness.
Explain the rock cycle and how rocks transform from one type to another through specific processes.
Identify common minerals and rock types using observable properties.
Model and explain the three types of plate tectonic boundaries and the landforms they produce.
Earth's Layers and Properties
What is the name of Earth's thin, outermost solid layer?
Which of Earth's layers is the thickest by volume?
Earth has two distinct types of crust. What are they called?
Which two metals make up most of Earth's core?
What is the lithosphere?
Which layer of Earth exists in a liquid state?
Despite being extremely hot, what state of matter is the inner core?
What causes convection currents to form in Earth's mantle?
What are the large, slowly moving pieces of Earth's lithosphere called?
The Rock Cycle and Rock Transformations
What type of rock forms when magma or lava cools and solidifies?
Which rock type forms when layers of sediment are compacted and cemented over time?
When an existing rock is transformed by intense heat and pressure without melting, what type of rock does it become?
What is the name of the continuous process that transforms rocks from one type to another over time?
Granite is a common rock that formed from magma cooling slowly underground. What rock type is granite?
Limestone is a rock that formed from the accumulation of shells, coral, and other organic sediment on the ocean floor. What rock type is limestone?
Marble forms when limestone is subjected to heat and pressure deep underground. What rock type is marble?
What term describes the breaking down of rock into smaller pieces by forces such as wind, water, ice, or living organisms?
After rock has been weathered into smaller pieces, what process transports that material to a new location?
When an igneous rock at Earth's surface is broken down by weathering and erosion, what does it eventually become?
Minerals and Rock Identification
A naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a definite chemical composition and a crystalline structure is the definition of what?
Which mineral property describes the way light reflects off a mineral's surface?
On the Mohs Hardness Scale, which mineral ranks as the hardest at number 10?
In which type of rock are fossils most commonly found?
Plate Tectonic Boundaries
At which type of plate boundary do two plates move directly toward each other?
At which type of plate boundary do two plates move away from each other?
At which type of plate boundary do two plates slide horizontally past each other?
When an oceanic plate converges with a continental plate, what landform typically results?
What underwater feature forms where two oceanic plates pull apart at a divergent boundary?
What force within Earth is primarily responsible for driving the movement of tectonic plates?
When an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate and the oceanic plate sinks beneath it, what is this process called?