Deck 1: The Earth in Context

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a possible stage in a star's life and collapse?

A) protostar
B) supernova
C) gas giant
D) black hole

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The Hubble Telescope took this photo in 2009 of an object 7,500 light years away.What is it?

A) a protostar
B) a nebula
C) a supernova
D) a protoplanet

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Larger stars live longer than smaller stars because of a greater supply of hydrogen fuel.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Strong evidence that the Universe is expanding comes from the fact that the light emitted from distant galaxies appears to be ____________.

A) red shifted
B) blue shifted
C) green shifted
D) None of the above are correct.

Question 5

Around 1929,Hubble and other astronomers discovered that the light of distant galaxies displayed red shifts relative to the light of nearby stars.This means that ___________________.

A) all distant galaxies are moving away from the Milky Way galaxy
B) these galaxies are moving away from a fixed light source
C) the whole Universe is expanding
D) All of the above are correct.
E) Both a and c are correct.

Question 6

The geocentric model (shown below)was developed during the time of the ancient Greeks.This model ___________.

A) was abandoned during the time of the Roman Empire and would never be widely held again
B) was held to be true by thinkers throughout the Middle Ages, up until the Renaissance
C) was rediscovered by the Polish astronomer Copernicus and has been the accepted model of the Universe ever since
D) has been proven by NASA space photos

Question 7

Researchers have determined that the Universe has been expanding throughout its history.When did the Universe begin?

A) 1.3 Ga ago
B) 13.7 Ga ago
C) 137 Ga ago
D) 13.7 Ma ago

Question 8

The gas giant,or Jovian,planets are ____________.

A) Mars, Mercury, and Venus
B) Mars, Venus, and Jupiter
C) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
D) Mars and Saturn

Question 9

In our current understanding of the Big Bang,____________.

A) Earth is much older than the rest of the Universe
B) the Universe is considerably older than Earth
C) Earth and the Universe formed at about the same time
D) there is no way of knowing how old the Universe might be

Question 10

In agreement with the Big Bang theory,our Universe is ____________.

A) expanding
B) contracting
C) static (unchanging)

Question 11

Waves that are "blue shifted" have shorter wavelengths than those that are "red shifted."

Question 12

In the heliocentric model (shown below)____________.

A) Earth orbits around the Sun
B) the Sun orbits around Earth
C) Earth is a stationary planet
D) Mercury and Venus orbit around the Sun, but all other planets orbit around Earth

Question 13

The Big Bang theory states that ____________.

A) all stars will end their lives explosively as supernovas
B) Earth formed through a series of violent collisions
C) meteors were responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs
D) all matter in the Universe was once confined to a single point

Question 14

From the choices below,the best estimate of the age of the Universe is ____________ old.

A) 5 million years
B) 6 billion years
C) 14 billion years
D) 100 billion years

Question 15

First-generation stars tend to be _________________________.

A) small and cool
B) large and cool
C) small and hot
D) large and hot

Question 16

In the figure below,the image on the right is that of fusion,while the image on the left is that of fission.

Question 17

Aside from Earth,the terrestrial planets are ____________.

A) Mars, Mercury, and Venus
B) Mars, Venus, and Jupiter
C) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
D) Mars and Saturn

Question 18

Why do stars and constellations change location over the course of one night?

A) The stars themselves are moving.
B) Our planet rotates around our Sun.
C) Our planet rotates on its own axis.
D) None of the above are correct.

Question 19

The _________________ refers to the change in wavelength (and,therefore,frequency)of waves that happens if the source of the waves is moving.

A) Big Bang theory
B) Nebular theory
C) Expanding Universe theory
D) Doppler effect

Question 20

A ____________ transmits energy from one point to another in the form of periodic motions and is defined by both the distance between these periodic motions ( __________ )and the number of them that pass a fixed point in a given time interval ( ___________ ).

A) frequency; wavelength; wave
B) wavelength; frequency; wave
C) wave; frequency; wavelength
D) wave; wavelength; frequency

Question 21

The figure below represents the final stages in Earth's formation,which was marked by all of the following EXCEPT ____________.

A) atmosphere formation
B) rains creating the oceans
C) gases being added by passing comets
D) differentiation of the core and mantle

Question 22

Which of the following bodies is the smallest?

A) planet
B) star
C) protoplanet
D) planetesimal

Question 23

An aurora (shown below)is produced when ____________.

A) solar wind particles are directed toward the poles and excite atmospheric gases
B) swamp gases rise upward from the arctic tundra
C) radiation in the Van Allen belts can be seen on a clear, cold night
D) lightning travels from cloud to cloud rather than cloud to ground

Question 24

Without the addition of ___________ (produced by fusion reactions in stars and in supernova explosions)to nebulae,planets would not have been produced.

A) light minerals
B) heavy minerals
C) light elements
D) heavy elements

Question 25

Without which of the following would it have been impossible for our Universe to form following the Big Bang?

A) hydrogen
B) helium
C) gravity
D) Both a and b are correct.
E) All of the above are correct.

Question 26

Atoms that are heavier than iron are generally produced by ____________.

A) fission reactions within stars
B) fusion reactions within stars
C) explosion of supernovas
D) the Big Bang

Question 27

The inner planets are terrestrial because _________________.

A) they are made of volatile materials
B) they are made of refractory materials
C) as our Solar System's proto-Sun formed, the inner part of our protoplanetary disk got hotter causing evaporation
D) Both b and c are correct.
E) Both a and c are correct.

Question 28

About 4.53 Ga,the Moon formed.Which of the following is NOT correct about that event?

A) An icy planetesimal collided with the newborn Earth.
B) A large part of Earth's mantle disintegrated.
C) Earth developed a ring, like those found around Saturn and Jupiter.
D) The colliding body disintegrated.

Question 29

The shape of Earth's magnetic field is approximately that of a ____________.

A) monopole
B) dipole (such as that produced by a bar magnet)
C) torus, a donut-shaped ring parallel to Earth's equator
D) quadrupole, which is aligned with the equator

Question 30

This is an image of ____________,progressing from right to left.

A) planetesimals forming protoplanets
B) protoplanets forming planetesimals
C) asteroids forming protoplanets
D) asteroids forming planetesimals

Question 31

An explanation for the origin of planets,moons,asteroids,and comets is the______________________.

A) Expanding Universe theory
B) Nebular theory
C) Big Bang theory
D) theory of plate tectonics

Question 32

If one were to ride a hot-air balloon up into the atmosphere,one would experience the concentration of gases ____________.

A) becoming denser
B) becoming less dense
C) remaining the same
D) increasing for the first 10 km, then starting to decline

Question 33

Volatile materials can exist as a gas at Earth's surface.Which of the following is NOT a volatile material?

A) water
B) iron
C) hydrogen
D) carbon dioxide

Question 34

Why is Earth round?

A) It has gravity.
B) It has a magnetic field.
C) It has a large mass.
D) Both a and c are correct.
E) All of the above are correct.

Question 35

Differentiation of the core from the mantle early in Earth's history was possible because the planet was ____________ at the time.

A) very cold
B) very hot
C) very small
D) the only planet in the Solar System

Question 36

By far the most common elements in the Universe and in our solar system are ____________.

A) nitrogen and oxygen
B) iron and manganese
C) hydrogen and helium
D) hydrogen and oxygen

Question 37

Chemically,the Moon is quite similar to ____________.

A) sea water
B) Earth's crust
C) Earth's mantle
D) Earth's core

Question 38

Earth's surface is protected from solar wind and cosmic radiation by ____________.

A) Earth's gravitational field
B) Earth's magnetic field
C) a large, metallic shield launched into orbit by NASA in the 1960s
D) a powerful stream of ions emitted by the Sun

Question 39

Presently,Earth's atmosphere is dominated by which two gases?

A) hydrogen and oxygen
B) carbon dioxide and methane
C) nitrogen and oxygen
D) nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide

Question 40

The metal alloy that makes up the core of Earth is ____________,as compared to the rocky mantle.

A) less dense
B) denser
C) very similar in chemistry and density
D) distinct in chemistry but of very similar density

Question 41

Earth's geothermal gradient is the rate of temperature change that would be observed if one could move in which of the following ways?

A) increasing altitude in the atmosphere
B) increasing depth at ocean trenches
C) traversing from either pole toward the equator
D) traversing down within Earth's interior

Question 42

The main effect that the Earth's magnetic field has on the Earth's habitability is ____________.

A) solar wind
B) magnetic anomalies
C) cosmic rays
D) Both a and b are correct.
E) Both a and c are correct.

Question 43

During a journey to the center of the Earth,one would experience temperature ____________.

A) and pressure both increasing
B) and pressure both decreasing
C) increasing, but pressure staying nearly the same
D) remaining remarkably constant, but pressure increasing

Question 44

The thickness of the Earth's crust varies from ____________.

A) 100 to 500 m
B) 1 to 10 km
C) 5 to 500 km
D) 7 to 70 km

Question 45

Which layer of the Earth has the greatest density?

A) crust
B) mantle
C) core
D) They all have the same density.

Question 46

As seismic (earthquake-generated)waves travel downward and reach the Moho,they ____________.

A) speed up
B) slow down
C) continue at the same velocity
D) are all reflected directly back toward the surface

Question 47

The Moho ____________.

A) lies at uniform depth everywhere it is found in Earth
B) is found deeper underneath continents than under oceans
C) is found deeper underneath oceans than under continents
D) is found well below the crust/mantle boundary

Question 48

The most common minerals within Earth are ____________.

A) silicates
B) carbonates
C) oxides
D) hydroxides

Question 49

Why are silicate rocks the most common on Earth?

A) The most common minerals are silicates.
B) Iron, oxygen, silicon and magnesium make up 91.2% of the Earth's mass.
C) Oxygen, silicon, iron, and hydrogen make up 91.2% of the Earth's mass.
D) Both a and b are correct.
E) Both a and c are correct.

Question 50

On average,continental crust is approximately ____________ as oceanic crust.

A) equally thick
B) half as thick
C) five times as thick
D) 20 times as thick

Question 51

If there was less of an atmosphere above Earth,then __________________.

A) the air we breathe would be more dense and there would be more air pressure
B) the air we breathe would be less dense and there would be more air pressure
C) the air we breathe would be less dense and there would be less air pressure
D) None of the above are correct.

Question 52

The atmosphere can be divided into several distinct layers.
Beginning with the layer in which we live,they are,in order:

A) stratosphere, troposphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
B) troposphere, stratosphere, thermosphere, mesosphere
C) troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
D) stratosphere, troposphere, thermosphere, mesosphere

Question 53

Substances that can be transformed to a gas at relatively low temperatures are termed ____________.

A) glasses
B) melts
C) volatiles
D) mineraloids

Question 54

In the whole Earth,the four most common elements are oxygen,silicon,magnesium,and ____________.

A) copper
B) lead
C) iron
D) zinc

Question 55

Hydrocarbons,such as petroleum and natural gas,are classified as ____________.

A) minerals
B) fluid rocks
C) organic materials
D) alloys

Question 56

Hot,liquid rock beneath the surface of the Earth is termed ____________.

A) lava
B) magma
C) volatiles
D) brimstone

Question 57

Of the three primary chemical layers of the Earth (crust,mantle,core),which is the thickest layer?

A) crust
B) mantle
C) core
D) They are all the same thickness.

Question 58

A fracture in the crust,where rocks slide past one another,is termed a ____________.

A) fold
B) fault
C) joint
D) frictional discontinuity

Question 59

Earth's magnetic field is generated by the ____________.

A) flow of the liquid inner core
B) flow of the liquid outer core
C) convective flow of the mantle
D) magnetic minerals within the crust

Question 60

If the inside of Earth was molten,which of the following characteristics about Earth would be true?

A) The land would rise and fall due to tidal forces.
B) Earth would have a lesser mass.
C) Earth would still be roughly spherical in shape.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 61

The lithosphere lies directly above the ____________.

A) transition zone
B) crust
C) asthenosphere
D) lower mantle

Question 62

If the lithosphere was not relatively rigid,but rather free-flowing,which of the following would be true?

A) The asthenosphere would be free to flow to Earth's surface.
B) Plate tectonics would not occur.
C) The temperature of Earth's surface would be hotter.
D) All of the above are correct.
E) Both a and b are correct.

Question 63

The distinction between the crust and the mantle is primarily on the basis of a difference in ____________; the distinction between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere is primarily on the basis of a difference in ____________.

A) chemistry (mineral content); degree of physical rigidity
B) color; chemistry (mineral content)
C) degree of physical rigidity; chemistry (mineral content)
D) chemistry (mineral content); chemistry as well

Question 64

As compared to the rocks that make up the crust,Earth as a whole is ____________.

A) considerably more dense
B) considerably less dense
C) slightly less dense
D) about the same density

Question 65

The boundary between the crust and the mantle is marked by a seismic-velocity discontinuity called ____________.

A) the Edsel
B) the Moho
C) Lyell's surface
D) the transition zone

Question 66

As compared to the asthenosphere,the lithosphere is ____________.

A) cooler and more able to flow
B) hotter and more able to flow
C) cooler and less able to flow
D) hotter and less able to flow

Question 67

If the outer core was not liquid,which of the following would be true about Earth?

A) Life on Earth would likely be very different.
B) The Earth may not have an atmosphere.
C) The Earth would not have a magnetic field.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 68

The lithosphere is composed of the ____________.

A) crust only
B) crust, mantle, and outer core
C) top 100 m of sediments and sedimentary rocks
D) crust and the uppermost part of the mantle

Question 69

The metallic content of Earth's core is ____________.

A) likely similar to what has been found in metallic meteorites
B) partly liquid and partly solid
C) an iron alloy (mostly iron with a few other elements mixed in)
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 70

From left to right,correctly label each section of this slice of the Earth.

A) crust, liquid outer core, transition zone, solid inner core, upper mantle, lower mantle
B) crust, upper mantle, transition zone, lower mantle, liquid outer core, solid inner core
C) transition zone, crust, upper mantle, lower mantle, liquid outer core, solid inner core
D) transition zone, crust, liquid outer core, solid inner core, upper mantle, lower mantle

Question 71

The densest layer of Earth is the ____________.

A) crust
B) mantle
C) outer core
D) inner core