Physical Geography Chapter 1
An equinox has the property of
12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night at all latitudes
At the June solstice, day length varies from ________ hours at the Equator to ________ hours at the North Pole.
12, 24
Earth's diameter is CLOSEST to ________ kilometers
12,000
The Universe is thought to be on the order of ________ billion years old.
13.7
The closest position taken by the Earth relative to the Sun is ________ million kilometers.
147
Longitude is divided into multiples of ________ degrees for the purpose of delimiting standard time zones.
15
Which of the following is a central meridian in the standardized time system?
15 degrees W
The geographic grid line 180 degrees of longitude from the Prime Meridian is the ________.
180th meridian
Standardization in world time zones dates from ________.
1884
The altitudinal difference (relief) between the top of the tallest mountain and the bottom of the deepest ocean trench is CLOSEST to ________ kilometers.
20
Earth's axis is tilted ________ degrees from a line perpendicular to the Plane of the Ecliptic.
23.5
The world is divided into ________ standard zones.
24
The moon is some ________ kilometers distant from Earth.
385,000
Science understands the solar system to be on the order of ________ billion years old.
4.5 to 5
How many degrees of latitude are there between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn?
47
The "living zone" in the atmosphere extends from Earth's surface to an altitude of approximately ________ kilometers.
5
The United States spans ________ time zones.
6
In angular measurement, a minute contains ________ seconds.
60
At times, latitudes higher than ________ degrees can have 24 hours or more of continuous darkness.
66.5
Any standard time zone extends ________ degrees of latitude to the east and west of the central meridian.
7.5
If the time is 12:00 A.M. in Greenwich, England, what time is it in New York City, New York (EST)?
7:00pm
Russia is the country containing the most time zones. It contains ________ zones.
9
Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain on Earth and its altitude is closest to ________ meters.
9,000
The highest numbered latitude used in the geographic grid is ________°.
90
Suppose you are standing on the standard time meridian of 75°W. Which would be the next standard time meridian to your west?
90 degrees W
If Earth rotated at one-half its current rotational speed, which of the following would be true?
Days would be exactly 48 hours
When the Sun's rays are directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn, it is ________.
December 21
When the circle of illumination just touches the Arctic Circle and the North Pole is dark, the date is closest to
December 21
The South Pole is nearest the Sun during which of these events?
December Solstice
In New York City, this is the shortest day of the year and the Sun is also lowest in the sky.
December solstice
The word geography comes from the Greek, meaning ________.
Earth description
A spot on Earth's surface rotates fastest at the ________.
Equator
Lines of longitude have the greatest distance between each other at which of the following location(s)?
Equator
Of the following, which is a great circle?
Equator
On both the Spring and Fall equinoxes, the Sun's rays are vertically overhead at the ________.
Equator
The speed of rotation of Earth's surface is highest at the
Equator
He was first to correctly calculate the circumference of Earth: ________.
Eratosthenes
The first nearly correct measurement of the Earth's circumference was made by ________.
Eratosthenes
All planets in our solar system rotate from east to west.
False
Earth revolves around the North Star.
False
Earth years are based on the rotation of the moon around the Earth.
False
Global environmental change seems to be all natural.
False
In the Northern Hemisphere the longest day of the year is at the vernal equinox.
False
In the Northern Hemisphere, days become continually shorter after March 22.
False
Of seconds, degrees, and minutes of latitude, minutes are associated with the shortest distances.
False
Our solar system is known as the Milky Way.
False
Russia occupies 3 time zones
False
The Earth has the shape of a true sphere.
False
The Earth year's length of 365.25 days is known as the perihelion.
False
The International Date Line and the 180th meridian are the same line.
False
The International Date Line follows the Arctic and Antarctic Circles.
False
The Plane of the Ecliptic and plane of the Equator are the same plane.
False
The Plane of the Ecliptic is the same thing as the perihelion.
False
The Prime Meridian is, by design, shorter than other meridians.
False
The Tropic of Cancer is an example of a great circle.
False
The atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere are considered to be discrete and independent subsystems of the Earth.
False
The best scientific guess is that there are a few hundred suns in our galaxy.
False
The circle of illumination is a small circle.
False
The northern hemisphere's shortest day of the year is at the autumnal equinox.
False
The northern hemisphere's vernal equinox occurs on September 23.
False
The plane of the Equator and the Plane of the Ecliptic are the same plane.
False
The vertical rays of the Sun are present at the Arctic Circle during the June solstice.
False
There are 24 minutes for each degree of latitude.
False
Time zones are universally divided into zones of 24° longitude.
False
Universal Time Coordinated is also known as ________.
Greenwich Mean Time
The perihelion is during the month of
January
The Earth/Sun aphelion occurs once per year during the month of ________.
July
The circle of illumination just touches the Antarctic Circle on or about ________.
June 21
The farthest north the vertical rays of the Sun ever reach north of the Equator occurs on or about ________.
June 21
Pluto's orbit is in the
Kuiper belt
The solid, inorganic portion of Earth is represented by which of the four primary spheres?
Lithosphere
The Sun is a star in the ________ galaxy.
Milky Way
One degree of longitude equals 0 miles on the ground at the ________.
North Pole
The ________ points at the star Polaris.
North Pole or Earth's axis
Which of the following best describes the latitude and longitude of North America?
Northern and Western Hemispheres
Which term properly describes the shape of Earth?
Oblate Spheroid
________ is the deepest spot in the ocean.
The Mariana Trench
Northern Hemisphere summer solstice is experienced on June 21. On this date, at solar noon, the Sun is directly overhead at the
Tropic of Cancer
On June 21, the Sun's rays are directly over the
Tropic of Cancer
The Sun's rays are directly overhead at the ________ on or about December 21.
Tropic of Capricorn
A great circle route is always the shortest distance between two points on the surface of the Earth.
True
Almost all countries in the world base their time on UTC
True
At one time, several nations had their own separate prime meridians.
True
At the Equator, the Sun's rays at noon strike the Earth at the angle of 90° above the horizon twice each year.
True
At the North Pole, the speed of rotation of the Earth is 0 kilometers per hour.
True
Larger angles of solar incidence concentrate solar energy in smaller areas of Earth's surface.
True
Magellan's expedition--the first to go around the world--found that their log was incorrect by one day. This was because the world had yet to adopt the International Date Line.
True
Most of Earth's land surface is classified as "habitable".
True
On December 22, all areas inside the Antarctic Circle are in daylight for a full 24 hours.
True
On the globe, meridians cross all parallels perpendicularly.
True
One rotation of the Earth approximates 24 hours.
True
One rotation of the Earth takes approximately 24 hours to complete.
True
Previous to the 1880s, the United States had more than 20 time zones.
True
The "geosphere" is NOT one of the four environmental spheres.
True
The Coriolis effect deflects wind and water currents.
True
The Earth's circumference is close to 40,000 kilometers.
True
The Equator is an example of a great circle in the geographic grid.
True
The International Date Line is in the middle of a time zone.
True
The International Date Line is not strictly a line of longitude because it has been constructed to avoid land.
True
The Mariana Trench of the Pacific Ocean is the deepest depth of the ocean.
True
The North Star is also known as Polaris.
True
The Prime Meridian was adopted as a result of an international conference in 1884.
True
The Sun and Moon are the astronomical bodies exerting the most gravitational influence on the Earth.
True
The Sun makes up more than 99 percent of the mass of our solar system.
True
The adoption of Daylight Savings Time would be of little value for most nations in the tropics.
True
The apparent motion of the Sun, moon, and stars is actually an illusion created by the easterly spin of the Earth.
True
The circle of illumination divides the Earth into a light and a dark hemisphere.
True
The fact that the Earth is round has been known for more than 2,000 years.
True
The lowest point of the sea bottom is approximately 11,000 meters below sea level.
True
The planets in our solar system formed from a cold, rotating disk of gas and dust surrounding the Sun.
True
The shortest distance between the Earth and Sun during the year is approximately 147 million kilometers.
True
The textbook asserts that human activities have accelerated global change.
True
The vertical distance between Earth's highest mountain and the deepest ocean trench is close to 20 kilometers.
True
The vertical rays of the Sun migrate between 23.5°N and 23.5°S.
True
The vertical rays of the Sun take one year to travel from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn and return to the Tropic of Cancer.
True
There is a parallel or meridian for every degree, minute, and second on the globe.
True
When one crosses the Prime Meridian, the time zone does not change.
True
"Greenwich Mean Time" is also known as ________.
Universal Time Coordinated
The maximum distance between Earth and Sun occurs in July and is called the ________.
aphelion
Numbered meridians
are semicircles
The Plane of the Ecliptic is
at an angle from the plane of the Equator
The Earth rotates about its
axis
The line connecting the points of maximum flattening on Earth's surface is called the
axis
Which of the following subsystems includes all living things on Earth?
biosphere
Eratosthenes was the first to accurately measure the Earth's ________.
circumference
At the International Date Line, there is a change of ________.
day
The "natural" baseline which serves as a baseline to measure longitude (such as the Equator, which is used as a baseline for latitude) ________.
does not exist
Pluto is now classified as a
dwarf planet
If you walked along a parallel, in what direction(s) would you be walking?
east or west
The ________ is the name of the orbital plane on which the Earth revolves.
ecliptic
The Earth is one of ________ planets in the solar system.
eight
A cross section of Earth cut from pole to pole would reveal which shape?
ellipse
The shape of Earth's orbit around the Sun is a(n)
ellipse
The solar system's Jovian planets are most likely composed of ________.
gas
The network of intersecting parallels and meridians over the entire Earth is known as the ________ .
geographic grid or graticule
A(n) ________ is a vertical piece of metal on a sundial.
gnomon
The ________ is a basic Système International (metric system) unit of mass.
gram
Our earthly grid system is also referred to as a ________ and consists of lines of latitude and longitude.
graticule
A ________ separates Earth into two hemispheres.
great circle
The ________ is the environmental sphere that encompasses water in all its forms and locations.
hydrosphere
The angular inclination of the Earth's axis with respect to a line perpendicular to the Plane of the Ecliptic
is 23.5 degrees
To Earth people, Polaris is an important star because it
is a guide for navigation
Which of the following is a topic of study in a physical geography course?
landforms, soil, climate, and flora
The graticule of the Earth is also known as ________.
latitude and longitude
The solid, inorganic portion of the Earth system is known as the ________.
lithosphere
In the Northern Hemisphere in July, day lengths are progressively ________ as one travels northward.
longer
Which of the following is out of order in the ideal application of the scientific method?
make a hypothesis
The Milky Way is one of over ________ galaxies in the Universe.
many billions
The term "a.m."
means before solar noon
Which of the following is NOT defined by latitude?
meridian
The ________ is a basic unit of distance in the Système International (metric system).
meter
The surfaces of the inner planets of our solar system seem to be composed of
mineral matter
Before time zones were created in the 1880s, one could encounter ________ time standards on a rail trip across the United States.
more than 20
Our solar system contains ________ moons revolving around the planets.
more than one hundred
If you walked along a meridian, in what direction(s) would you be walking?
north or south
The best description of the actual shape of the Earth is as a(n)
oblate spheriod
At the Equator, one degree of latitude is approximately equal to
one degree of longitude
Earth is
one of the inner planets
The two major branches of geography are cultural geography and ________ geography.
physical
Earth rotates around its rotational axis. A plane at a right angle to and bisecting Earth's axis is known as the ________.
plane of the Equator
The response to Earth's rotation is
polar flattening
The constant angle between Earth's axis and the Plane of the Ecliptic is called Earth's ________.
polarity
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 ________.
polarity
The cause of Earth's seasons is the
polarity of the axis
Which of the following is not a major topic taught in a course of introductory physical geography?
population
The shape of the Milky Way is similar to a(n)
spiral-shaped disk
Using a gnomon, one can
tell local time
The origin of the Universe is incompletely understood and is called ________.
the "Big Bang"
Which of the following is also an entire great circle?
the Equator
The Sun's heating ability over Earth gets stronger when
the Sun's rays strike Earth perpendicularly (at 90 degree angle)
The most important physical effect of the Earth's rotation is ________.
the alternation of sunlight and darkness
The distance of 150,000,000 kilometers is CLOSEST to being ________.
the average Earth/Sun distance
In science, the term "theory" is
the highest order of understanding
One can tell when it is solar noon by observing
the length of shadows
When the vertical rays of the Sun cross the Equator on their way northward, the date is known as ________ in the Northern Hemisphere.
the vernal equinox
At the North Pole, one degree of longitude extends ________ kilometers on the ground.
0
The Earth's polar and equatorial diameters vary by ________ percent.
0.3
How many time zones are contained within Alaska?
1
At the time of the aphelion, Earth is ________ million kilometers from the Sun.
1,520
At the Equator (0°), a given point on Earth's surface travels about ________ kilometers per hour.
1,600
Which of the following distances is CLOSEST TO the actual distance associated with one degree of latitude?
100 km
The Milky Way is a galaxy some ________ light years in diameter.
100,000
Near the North Pole, one degree of latitude extends ________ kilometer(s) on the ground.
111
If you fly west from Australia to the United States, departing on April 1, what day is it when you arrive in the United States?
April 1
________ is considered a dwarf planet.
Pluto
The north end of Earth's axis points towards
Polaris
The 0° Meridian is the same line as the ________ .
Prime Meridian
The Greenwich Meridian is also known as the ________.
Prime Meridian
________ is a country which has adopted permanent Daylight Saving Time, with double Daylight Saving Time in the summer.
Russia
What happened between 4.5 and 5 billion years ago?
The beginning of our solar system occurred
A nebula is
a cloud of gas and dust
Geography is
a combination of physical and social sciences
Which of the following is not contained within Earth's system of latitude and longitude?
a longitude of 185 degrees E
The acceptance of of a theory or hypothesis is based on
a preponderance of evidence
Which of the below takes the LONGEST time?
a revolution of the Earth
After it was part of a nebula and before it was the Sun, our Sun was a
protostar
If the axis of the Earth was not tilted, Earth would not experience ________.
seasons
Rotation of the Earth causes ________.
tides, Coriolis effect, local variations in temperature and day and night
The amount of time the Earth takes to revolve around the Sun is most properly known as a(n)
tropical year
The Milky Way is one of, at least, ________ galaxies in the Universe.
two hundred billion
The size of the Universe is best described as
vast beyond comprehension
The ________ equinox of the Southern Hemisphere takes place when the vertical rays of the Sun cross the Equator on the journey southward.
vernal
Of the following, which is the first day of spring?
vernal equinox
The Earth is 3.3 percent closer to the Sun during the Northern Hemisphere ________ than when it is farthest away.
winter
