Living Earth

(Q004) Identify the statement that is true about the Big Bang. - It occurred less than 13 million years ago. - It began with all matter and energy concentrated in an infinitesimally small point. - The Big Bang theory states that at the instant of explosion, atoms of all major elements came into existence. - It is the explanation for how our Solar System developed.

- It began with all matter and energy concentrated in an infinitesimally small point.

What type of plate boundary is where oceanic lithosphere is created? - subduction zone - transform fault - mid-ocean ridge

- Mid ocean ridge

(Q003) Identify the true statement. - The composition of the giant (Jovian) planets is mainly gas and "ice." - The Sun accounts for almost 50% of the Solar System's mass. - The only two planets with moons are the Earth and Jupiter. - Our Sun is the only star we know of that has planets associated with it.

- The composition of the giant (Jovian) planets is mainly gas and "ice."

(Q006) The Big Bang theory states that - all matter and energy in the Universe was once packed into a single point. - temperatures had to remain above 1 billion degrees in order for atoms to form. - the process of atom creation, termed Big Bang nucleosynthesis, produced all known natural elements. - all of the possible answers are correct.

- all matter and energy in the Universe was once packed into a single point.

(Q014) Which of the following is caused by the interaction of charged particles, magnetic lines of force, and the atmosphere in polar regions? - Van Allen belts - aurorae - dipole - troposphere

- aurorae

(Q015) Humans are part of the - geosphere. - cryosphere - biosphere. - lithosphere

- biosphere.

(Q019) The Earth's average density - is greater than that of an iron meteorite. - is about the same as the core. - can be deduced from its volume and gravitational pull. - is the same as rocks on the surface.

- can be deduced from its volume and gravitational pull.

(Q002) Our Solar System - is centrally positioned in the Milky Way Galaxy. - is held together by the gravitational pulls of Jupiter and Saturn. - currently consists of nine planets. - completes one rotation around the center of the Milky Way every 250 million years.

- completes one rotation around the center of the Milky Way every 250 million years.

(Q008) The earliest nebulae to form in the Universe were made almost entirely of - hydrogen and helium. - chlorine and argon. - iron and magnesium. - carbon and nitrogen.

- hydrogen and helium

(Q009) Differentiation of large planetesimals and protoplanets - is the process by which these bodies collide to form larger celestial bodies. - began with cooling down the component materials within these bodies. - is caused by heat created by the transformation of kinetic energy from collisions into thermal energy. - was inhibited by the presence of radioactive elements because their decay absorbs heat from the surroundings.

- is caused by heat created by the transformation of kinetic energy from collisions into thermal energy.

(Q023) The crust - is the top of the mantle that has cooled and hardened. - is separated from the mantle by the Moho. - plus the upper part of the mantle make up the asthenosphere. - can be separated into two types: lithosphere and asthenosphere.

- is separated from the mantle by the Moho.

(Q024) The boundary between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere - is called the Moho. - is the boundary between rigid mantle and plastic mantle. - is within the crust. - is at an average depth of 35 to 40 km.

- is the boundary between rigid mantle and plastic mantle.

(Q017) The geothermal gradient - is the rate of change in temperature with depth within the Earth. - increases exponentially as you go deeper into the Earth. - averages about 5°C per kilometer in the upper crust. - indicates that temperatures near the mantle-core boundary may exceed the temperature of the Sun's surface (5,500°C).

- is the rate of change in temperature with depth within the Earth

(Q010) The Earth is round because - erosion over time has worn down the jagged edges of its planetesimals. - its interior rock is warm enough to flow slowly in response to gravity. - the solar wind has shaped it. - the gravitational tug of the Moon has worn down the jagged edges.

- its interior rock is warm enough to flow slowly in response to gravity.

(Q012) Which of the following traps cosmic rays and shields life on the Earth from excessive radiation? - cryosphere - magnetosphere - geosphere - mantle

- magnetosphere

(Q022) Which of the Earth's layers accounts for most of the volume of the Earth? - inner core - mantle - lithosphere - crust

- mantle

(Q013) The two most common gases of the Earth's atmosphere, and their percentages, are - carbon dioxide (CO2) at 21%, and oxygen (O2) at 78%. - water (H2O) at 21%, and oxygen (O2) at 78%. - oxygen (O2) at 21%, and carbon dioxide (CO2) at 78%. - nitrogen (N2) at 78%, and oxygen (O2) at 21%.

- nitrogen (N2) at 78%, and oxygen (O2) at 21%

(Q020) Which of the following pairs of elements composes most of the Earth's crust? - iron and nickel - nitrogen and oxygen - silicon and oxygen - iron and oxygen

- silicon and oxygen

Where is the oceanic lithosphere recycled/destroyed? - mid ocean ridges - subduction zones - transform faults

- subduction zones

(Q021) Peridotite is - extremely abundant at the Earth's surface. - the most abundant rock in the Earth. - a felsic rock. - a liquid substance that composes the mantle.

- the most abundant rock in the Earth.

(Q001) The heliocentric model - states that the Earth is the center of the Universe, and the Moon and planets revolve around it. - was developed by Ptolemy and supported by his mathematical equations. - was widely accepted during the Middle Ages (ca. 476-1400 c.e.). - was supported by observations that planets follow an elliptical orbit.

- was supported by observations that planets follow an elliptical orbit.

(Q007) The heavier elements on the Earth (those with atomic numbers greater than 5) - were in existence at the moment of the Big Bang. - were formed immediately after the Big Bang. - were formed by stellar nucleosynthesis during the life cycles of older stars and supernovae. - are constantly being created by fusion in the Earth's core.

- were formed by stellar nucleosynthesis during the life cycles of older stars and supernovae.