Geography Test

49) On both the Spring and Fall equinoxes, the Sun's rays are vertically overhead at the ________. A) Tropic of Cancer B) Equator C) Tropic of Capricorn D) Arctic Circle E) none of the above

Answer: B

55) The circle of illumination just touches the Antarctic Circle on or about ________. A) March 23 B) June 21 C) September 23 D) December 21 E) January 1

Answer: B

59) The solid, inorganic portion of the Earth system is known as the ________. A) Earth B) lithosphere C) hydrosphere D) atmosphere E) biosphere

Answer: B

67) The Earth is one of ________ planets in the solar system. A) four B) eight C) twenty D) thirty six E) over one hundred

Answer: B

72) Suppose you are standing on the standard time meridian of 75°W. Which would be the next standard time meridian to your west? A) 76°W B) 90°W C) 180°W D) 100°W E) impossible to say

Answer: B

75) At the June solstice, day length varies from ________ hours at the Equator to ________ hours at the North Pole. A) 0, 24 B) 12, 24 C) 12, 0 D) 24, 0 E) 24, 12

Answer: B

77) Which of the following subsystems includes all living things on Earth? A) atmosphere B) biosphere C) hydrosphere D) lithosphere E) stratosphere

Answer: B

79) The Earth's polar and equatorial diameters vary by ________ percent. A) 0 B) 0.3 C) 7.5 D) 10 E) 27

Answer: B

86) Any standard time zone extends ________ degrees of latitude to the east and west of the central meridian. A) 5 B) 7.5 C) 15 D) 25 E) 50

Answer: B

37) The Milky Way is one of, at least, ________ galaxies in the Universe. A) two thousand B) two hundred thousand C) two million D) two hundred billion E) two trillion

Answer: D

39) When the Sun's rays are directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn, it is ________. A) March 21 B) June 21 C) September 21 D) December 21 E) October 21

Answer: D

43) The moon is some ________ kilometers distant from Earth. A) 3.85 B) 385 C) 3,850 D) 385,000 E) 38,500,000

Answer: D

45) At the International Date Line, there is a change of ________. A) season B) hour C) year D) day E) day and time zone

Answer: D

47) Standardization in world time zones dates from ________. A) 1584 B) 1684 C) 1784 D) 1884 E) 1984

Answer: D

48) The Earth is 3.3 percent closer to the Sun during the Northern Hemisphere ________ than when it is farthest away. A) spring B) summer C) fall D) winter E) aphelion

Answer: D

61) A nebula is A) a bright star. B) a black hole. C) a faded star. D) a cloud of gas and dust. E) none of the above

Answer: D

66) The best description of the actual shape of the Earth is as a(n) A) circle. B) sphere. C) spheroid. D) oblate spheroid. E) centroid.

Answer: D

68) The Earth rotates about its A) great circle. B) revolution. C) inclination. D) axis. E) Equator.

Answer: D

73) Which of the below takes the LONGEST time? A) the rotation of the Earth B) revolution of the moon C) a solar day D) a revolution of the Earth E) They all take approximately the same time.

Answer: D

85) The term "a.m." A) was first used in the 1880s. B) refers to standard time at Greenwich. C) is no longer used by most of the world. D) means "before solar noon". E) means "at solar noon".

Answer: D

92) Earth is A) one of the biggest planets. B) one of the largest planets. C) the smallest planet. D) one of the inner planets. E) one of the planets having the most gas.

Answer: D

94) Our earthly grid system is also referred to as a ________ and consists of lines of latitude and longitude. A) gnomon B) meridian C) plane coordinate system D) graticule E) great circle system

Answer: D

98) At times, latitudes higher than ________ degrees can have 24 hours or more of continuous darkness. A) 10 B) 23.5 C) 45 D) 66.5 E) 90

Answer: D

14) Before time zones were created in the 1880s, one could encounter ________ time standards on a rail trip across the United States. A) 1 B) 5 C) 7 D) 10 E) more than 20

Answer: E

26) Our solar system contains ________ moons revolving around the planets. A) no B) two C) ten D) twenty E) more than one hundred

Answer: E

36) The distance of 150,000,000 kilometers is CLOSEST to being ________. A) the aphelion B) the perihelion C) the circle of illumination D) a light year E) the average Earth/Sun distance

Answer: E

41) The Milky Way is a galaxy some ________ light years in diameter. A) 10 B) 100 C) 1,000 D) 10,000 E) 100,000

Answer: E

44) In science, the term "theory" is A) a first guess. B) an unsupported hunch. C) revolution around Earth. D) not relevant. E) the highest order of understanding.

Answer: E

21) The altitudinal difference (relief) between the top of the tallest mountain and the bottom of the deepest ocean trench is CLOSEST to ________ kilometers. A) 20 B) 200 C) 2,000 D) 20,000 E) 200,000

Answer: A

28) How many time zones are contained within Alaska? A) 1 B) 2 C) 3 D) 4 E) 5

Answer: A

34) A spot on Earth's surface rotates fastest at the ________. A) Equator B) Tropic of Cancer C) Arctic Circle D) Tropic of Capricorn E) North Pole

Answer: A

42) The solar system's Jovian planets are most likely composed of ________. A) gas B) interstellar dust C) granite D) basalt E) water

Answer: A

5) "Greenwich Mean Time" is also known as ________. A) Universal Time Coordinated B) European Time C) the perihelion D) Polaris E) the Plane of the Ecliptic

Answer: A

50) The highest numbered latitude used in the geographic grid is ________°. A) 90 B) 100 C) 180 D) 360 E) 365

Answer: A

54) The constant angle between Earth's axis and the Plane of the Ecliptic is called Earth's ________. A) polarity B) Mean Time C) perihelion D) aphelion E) praxis

Answer: A

56) The acceptance of of a theory or hypothesis is based on A) a preponderance of evidence. B) a hunch. C) belief. D) the pronouncements of authorities. E) all of the above

Answer: A

57) Numbered meridians A) are semicircles. B) are east-west lines. C) diverge as they near the poles. D) are the same thing as parallels. E) are numbered from 0-100 in three hemispheres.

Answer: A

6) The Sun's rays are directly overhead at the ________ on or about December 21. A) Tropic of Capricorn B) Tropic of Cancer C) Arctic Circle D) Antarctic Circle E) North Pole

Answer: A

76) The perihelion is during the month of A) January. B) March. C) July. D) September. E) December.

Answer: A

83) At the Equator, one degree of latitude is approximately equal to A) one degree of longitude. B) 1,000 kilometers of longitude. C) a great circle. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Answer: A

1) The Sun is a star in the ________ galaxy. A) Orion B) Milky Way C) Proxima Centauri D) Alpha Centauri E) Betelgeuse

Answer: B

100) Using a gnomon, one can A) calculate the radius of Earth. B) tell local time. C) predict the phases of the moon. D) estimate the exact height of tall mountains. E) theorize about amount of time since the "big bang".

Answer: B

17) The maximum distance between Earth and Sun occurs in July and is called the ________. A) Coriolis B) aphelion C) sidereal D) ecliptic E) perihelion

Answer: B

18) On June 21, the Sun's rays are directly over the A) Equator. B) Tropic of Cancer. C) Tropic of Capricorn. D) Arctic Circle. E) Plane of the Ecliptic.

Answer: B

22) The United States spans ________ time zones. A) 3 B) 6 C) 12 D) 24 E) 36

Answer: B

29) A ________ separates Earth into two hemispheres. A) solstice B) great circle C) small circle D) perihelion E) loxodrome

Answer: B

3) The response to Earth's rotation is A) wind. B) polar flattening. C) equatorial flattening. D) Death Valley. E) Mt. Everest.

Answer: B

30) Longitude is divided into multiples of ________ degrees for the purpose of delimiting standard time zones. A) 10 B) 15 C) 25 D) 30 E) 34

Answer: B

32) Universal Time Coordinated is also known as ________. A) Pacific Standard Time B) Greenwich Mean Time C) Central Daylight Time D) Leap Year Time E) the solstice

Answer: B

35) One degree of longitude equals 0 miles on the ground at the ________. A) Tropic of Capricorn B) North Pole C) Tropic of Cancer D) Antarctic Circle E) Arctic Circle

Answer: B

46) The farthest north the vertical rays of the Sun ever reach north of the Equator occurs on or about ________. A) March 23 B) June 21 C) September 23 D) December 21 E) July 4

Answer: B

10) At the Equator (0°), a given point on Earth's surface travels about ________ kilometers per hour. A) 1,600 B) 16,000 C) 160,000 D) 1,600,000 E) 60,000,000

Answer: A

12) At the North Pole, one degree of longitude extends ________ kilometers on the ground. A) 0 B) 10 C) 100 D) 1,000 E) 10,000

Answer: A

88) An equinox has the property of A) the Sun at the same angle at all latitudes. B) 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night at all latitudes. C) the vertical rays of the Sun at the Tropic of Cancer. D) total darkness north of the Arctic Circle. E) 24 hours of darkness at the Equator.

Answer: B

95) Which of the following is not contained within Earth's system of latitude and longitude? A) a longitude of 5°W B) a longitude of 185°E C) a latitude of 0° D) a longitude of 165°W E) a latitude of 36°N

Answer: B

96) The cause of Earth's seasons is the A) varying output of the Sun. B) polarity of the axis. C) shape of the Earth. D) varying distance between Earth and Sun. E) cold experienced each wintertime.

Answer: B

4) The first nearly correct measurement of the Earth's circumference was made by ________. A) Newton B) Einstein C) Eratosthenes D) Columbus E) Plato

Answer: C

11) Near the North Pole, one degree of latitude extends ________ kilometer(s) on the ground. A) 1 B) 11 C) 111 D) 1,111 E) 11,111

Answer: C

13) The world is divided into ________ standard zones. A) 11 B) 15 C) 24 D) 180 E) 360

Answer: C

15) Of the following, which is a great circle? A) Tropic of Capricorn B) Tropic of Cancer C) Equator D) Arctic Circle E) Antarctic Circle

Answer: C

16) Of the following, which is the first day of spring? A) June solstice B) March 1 C) vernal equinox D) equinox E) solstice

Answer: C

19) The fact that at any time during the year, the Earth's axis is parallel to its orientation at all other times is called its parallelism, or ________. A) revolution B) rotation C) polarity D) aphelion E) perihelion

Answer: C

20) Russia is the country containing the most time zones. It contains ________ zones. A) 3 B) 5 C) 9 D) 15 E) 36

Answer: C

23) The closest position taken by the Earth relative to the Sun is ________ million kilometers. A) 10 B) 47 C) 147 D) 1,470 E) 14,700

Answer: C

25) The geographic grid line 180 degrees of longitude from the Prime Meridian is the ________. A) Tropic of Cancer B) 90th meridian C) 180th meridian D) 320th meridian E) Tropic of Capricorn

Answer: C

31) Eratosthenes was the first to accurately measure the Earth's ________. A) radius B) polarity C) circumference D) crust E) hemisphere

Answer: C

38) The Earth/Sun aphelion occurs once per year during the month of ________. A) January B) March C) July D) December E) September

Answer: C

40) At the time of the aphelion, Earth is ________ million kilometers from the Sun. A) 5.2 B) 52 C) 152 D) 1,520 E) 15,200

Answer: C

52) Which of the following is a central meridian in the standardized time system? A) 5°W B) 10°W C) 15°W D) 20°W E) 25°W

Answer: C

53) A(n) ________ is a vertical piece of metal on a sundial. A) hour hand B) ephemeris C) gnomon D) circle of illumination E) solstice

Answer: C

58) The most important physical effect of the Earth's rotation is ________. A) to cause continents to "drift" B) seasonal change C) the alternation of sunlight and darkness D) Daylight Saving Time E) the blue appearance of clear sky

Answer: C

65) Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain on Earth and its altitude is closest to ________ meters. A) 90 B) 900 C) 9,000 D) 90,000 E) 900,000

Answer: C

70) Which of the following distances is CLOSEST TO the actual distance associated with one degree of latitude? A) 1 km B) 10 km C) 100 km D) 1,000 km E) 10,000 km

Answer: C

74) The angular inclination of the Earth's axis with respect to a line perpendicular to the Plane of the Ecliptic A) varies through the year. B) is 0 degrees. C) is 23.5 degrees. D) is 66.5 degrees. E) is 90 degrees.

Answer: C

78) Pluto is now classified as a A) comet. B) moon. C) dwarf planet. D) meteorite. E) protostar.

Answer: C

8) How many degrees of latitude are there between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn? A) 0 B) 23.5 C) 47 D) 90 E) 180

Answer: C

81) Which of the following is also an entire great circle? A) any line of latitude B) any parallel C) the Equator D) any numbered meridian E) the Prime Meridian

Answer: C

82) In angular measurement, a minute contains ________ seconds. A) 0 B) 10 C) 60 D) 360 E) 3,600

Answer: C

89) When the vertical rays of the Sun cross the Equator on their way northward, the date is known as ________ in the Northern Hemisphere. A) the summer solstice B) the winter solstice C) the vernal equinox D) the fall equinox E) the perihelion

Answer: C

9) The Greenwich Meridian is also known as the ________. A) perihelion B) aphelion C) Prime Meridian D) Equator E) small circle

Answer: C

93) The Universe is thought to be on the order of ________ billion years old. A) .37 B) 3.7 C) 13.7 D) 137 E) 1370

Answer: C

97) In New York City, this is the shortest day of the year and the Sun is also lowest in the sky. A) vernal equinox B) autumnal equinox C) December solstice D) June solstice E) aphelion

Answer: C

2) Earth's diameter is CLOSEST to ________ kilometers. A) 12 B) 120 C) 1,200 D) 12,000 E) 120,000

Answer: D

24) When the circle of illumination just touches the Arctic Circle and the North Pole is dark, the date is closest to A) March 23. B) June 21. C) September 23. D) December 21. E) July 4.

Answer: D

27) A cross section of Earth cut from pole to pole would reveal which shape? A) circle B) parabola C) sine curve D) ellipse E) crescent

Answer: D

33) The 0° Meridian is the same line as the ________ . A) International Date Line B) Equator C) perihelion D) Prime Meridian E) geographic grid

Answer: D

51) Which of the following is out of order in the ideal application of the scientific method? A) observe a phenomenon that stimulates a question B) design an experiment C) observe the outcome of an experiment D) formulate a rule E) make a hypothesis

Answer: E

60) The size of the Universe is best described as A) 100,000 light years across. B) small. C) in terms of the width of 5 galaxies across. D) 1 astronomical unit across. E) vast beyond comprehension.

Answer: E

62) The surfaces of the inner planets of our solar system seem to be composed of A) gases. B) frozen water. C) frozen carbon dioxide. D) molten lava. E) mineral matter.

Answer: E

63) The Milky Way is one of over ________ galaxies in the Universe. A) one hundred B) one thousand C) one hundred thousand D) one million E) many billions

Answer: E

64) After it was part of a nebula and before it was the Sun, our Sun was a A) star. B) galaxy. C) asteroid. D) comet. E) protostar.

Answer: E

69) Which of the following is NOT defined by latitude? A) parallel B) Arctic Circle C) Antarctic Circle D) North Pole E) meridian

Answer: E

7) The north end of Earth's axis points towards A) the Moon. B) Mars. C) Venus. D) Ork. E) Polaris.

Answer: E

71) Which of the following best describes the latitude and longitude of North America? A) Northern and Southern Hemispheres B) Eastern and Western Hemispheres C) Northern and Eastern Hemispheres D) Eastern and Southern Hemispheres E) Northern and Western Hemispheres

Answer: E

80) The line connecting the points of maximum flattening on Earth's surface is called the A) radius. B) Plane of the Ecliptic. C) Equator. D) Arctic Circle. E) axis.

Answer: E

84) The "natural" baseline which serves as a baseline to measure longitude (such as the Equator, which is used as a baseline for latitude) ________. A) is the Prime Meridian B) is the International Date Line C) runs near London, England D) is at the same latitude as the Equator E) does not exist

Answer: E

87) Rotation of the Earth causes ________. A) tides B) Coriolis effect C) local variations in temperature D) day and night E) all of the above

Answer: E

90) Which of the following is a topic of study in a physical geography course? A) landforms B) soil C) climate D) flora E) all of the above

Answer: E

91) Geography is A) a physical science. B) a social science. C) an art, not a science. D) much the same as geology. E) a combination of physical and social sciences.

Answer: E

99) The Plane of the Ecliptic is A) the same as the plane of the Equator. B) not important in physical geography. C) another way of describing the latitude of the vertical Sun. D) the same thing as the Tropic of Cancer. E) at an angle from the plane of the Equator.

Answer: E