Multiple Choice
Identify the
letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1.
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Weathering by abrasion is usually caused by a. | animals, plants,
and wind. | c. | ice wedging,
animals, and water. | b. | wind, water, and gravity | d. | plants, gravity, and ice wedging. | | | | |
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2.
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An
acid normally involved in the formation of caves is a. | nitric
acid. | c. | hydrochloric
acid. | b. | hydrofluoric acid. | d. | carbonic acid. | | | | |
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3.
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The
soil horizon that contains humus is a. | horizon A. | b. | horizon
B. | c. | horizon
C. | | |
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4.
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Tropical soils have the a. | thickest horizon B. | c. | thinnest horizon A. | b. | thickest horizon
A. | d. | thinnest horizon
B. | | | | |
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5.
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The
humus found in soils comes from a. | parent rock | c. | bedrock | b. | plants and
animals. | d. | horizon
B. | | | | |
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6.
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Contour plowing means plowing a. | up and down the slope of a
hill. | c. | across the slope
of a hill. | b. | in steps along a hill. | d. | in circles. | | | | |
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7.
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Which
of water’s properties directly causes mechanical weathering? a. | Water dissolves
many minerals. | b. | Water can hold heat longer than soil. | c. | Water expands
when it freezes. | d. | Water can form an acid when combined with some
gases. | | |
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8.
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Which
of the following does NOT directly contribute to the abrasion of rocks? a. | wind | c. | sunlight | b. | water | d. | gravity | | | | |
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9.
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Rust
is the oxidation of a. | water. | c. | nitrogen. | b. | tin. | d. | iron. | | | | |
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10.
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Water
____ when it freezes. a. | expands | c. | weathers by abrasion | b. | contracts | d. | Both (a) and
(c) | | | | |
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11.
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The
process in which water freezes and widens cracks in rock is called a. | ice
crunching. | c. | abrasion. | b. | glaciation. | d. | ice wedging. | | | | |
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12.
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Smooth rocks in a river have usually been rounded by a. | oxidation. | c. | abrasion. | b. | glaciation. | d. | ice wedging. | | | | |
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13.
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In
nature, ____ is the action of rocks and sediment grinding against each other and wearing away exposed
surfaces. a. | chemical
weathering | c. | oxidation | b. | differential weathering | d. | abrasion | | | | |
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14.
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Which
of the following is NOT an example of weathering by abrasion? a. | ventifacts | c. | acid
precipitation | b. | rounded river rocks | d. | rocks grinding together in a rock
slide | | | | |
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15.
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How
do earthworms erode soil? a. | by growing large enough to force wedges in the
soil | b. | by eating the
soil, creating cracks and large pockets | c. | by burrowing and tunneling in the
soil | d. | None of the
above | | |
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16.
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The
dissolving of a rock in water is an example of a. | mechanical weathering. | c. | differential weathering. | b. | chemical
weathering. | d. | oxidation. | | | | |
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17.
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A
marble statue had sharp details when it was first carved, but now it appears "eaten away."
This is most likely a result of a. | mechanical weathering. | c. | oxidation. | b. | acid
precipitation. | d. | differential
weathering. | | | | |
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18.
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Which
of the following could contribute to acid precipitation? a. | burning fossil
fuels | c. | abrasion | b. | oxidation | d. | all of the above | | | | |
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19.
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Lichens, which consist of fungi and algae living together, contribute to ____
weathering. a. | mechanical | c. | abrasive | b. | chemical | d. | differential | | | | |
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20.
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A
rusty car has undergone chemical weathering due to a. | oxidation. | c. | ice
wedging. | b. | abrasion. | d. | acid in ground water. | | | | |
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21.
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The
process by which softer, less weather-resistant rocks wear away, leaving harder, more
weather-resistant rocks behind is called a. | mechanical weathering. | c. | differential weathering. | b. | chemical
weathering. | d. | oxidation. | | | | |
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Suppose you rest from hiking on a mountain trail. You sit down a boulder that has a
surface area of approximately 6 m2, and you place your feet on rocks that have a surface
area of approximately 1 m2. Lining the trail you notice some smaller stones and scattered
pebbles.
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22.
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Which
of these rocks would weather the fastest? a. | the boulder | c. | the stones | b. | the
rocks | d. | the
pebbles | | | | |
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23.
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To a
scientist, ____ is a loose mixture of small mineral fragments and organic material. a. | soil | c. | parent
rock | b. | bedrock | d. | humus | | | | |
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24.
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The
organic part of the soil is called a. | topsoil. | c. | parent rock. | b. | bedrock. | d. | humus. | | | | |
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25.
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Soil
that remains above the bedrock from which it formed is called a. | topsoil. | c. | transported
soil | b. | residual
soil. | d. | leached
soil. | | | | |
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26.
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Which
of the following would you find at C horizon? a. | bedrock | c. | subsoil | b. | topsoil | d. | partially weathered bedrock | | | | |
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27.
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Which
of the following would you find at D horizon? a. | bedrock | c. | subsoil | b. | topsoil | d. | partially weathered bedrock | | | | |
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28.
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As
rainwater from the surface travels from A horizon to D horizon, ____
occurs. a. | oxidation | c. | leaching | b. | terracing | d. | abrasion | | | | |
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29.
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Which
horizon contains more humus than any other soil horizon? a. | A
horizon | c. | C
horizon | b. | B horizon | d. | D horizon | | | | |
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30.
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In
which horizon do clays and dissolved substances from the topsoil collect? a. | A
horizon | c. | C
horizon | b. | B horizon | d. | D horizon | | | | |
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31.
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In
which horizon do most leached minerals collect? a. | A horizon | c. | C horizon | b. | B
horizon | d. | D
horizon | | | | |
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32.
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Tropical rain forests have humid air and heavy rains. Why is the topsoil in tropical
rain forests very thin and poor? a. | Heavy rains wash away the topsoil because there are few plants
to hold it in place. | b. | Tropical rain forests are established atop horizon
C—partially weathered bedrock. | c. | Heavy rains constantly leach the
soil. | d. | All of the above | | |
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33.
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Deserts have dry air and little rain. Why is desert topsoil often
salty? a. | Lack of rain
allows the wind to blow away the topsoil, leaving a layer of salty rock
behind. | b. | Surface water that trickles in evaporates, leaving salts that
were once dissolved in the water. | c. | Lack of rains causes leaching to occur quickly and
constantly. | d. | all of the above | | |
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34.
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Which
climate is most similar to an arctic climate? a. | tropical climate | c. | temperate climate | b. | desert
climate | d. | none of the
above | | | | |
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35.
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Which
statement best describes the topsoil in arctic climates? a. | It is thick and
fertile. | c. | Heavy rains
leach out the minerals. | b. | Heavy wind erosion leaves no
topsoil. | d. | It is thin and
poor. | | | | |
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36.
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Suppose two people keep the same kind of steel-frame bicycle outside. Which bike would
rust faster, the bike kept on the warm, humid coastline of Florida or the one in the hot, dry desert
of New Mexico? a. | They would rust
at the same rate. | b. | Neither bike would rust. | c. | The bike in
Florida would rust first. | d. | The bike in New Mexico would rust
first. | | |
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37.
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____
produces a reddish soil, as seen at the Capitol Reef National Park. a. | The oxidation of
iron | b. | The abrasion of
rock | c. | The differential
weathering of rock | d. | The effects of acid precipitation on
rock | | |
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38.
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Which
of the following is a type of mechanical weathering? a. | oxidation | c. | leaching | b. | acid precipitation | d. | ice wedging | | | | |
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39.
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Lichens erode rocks by producing a. | limestone. | c. | salts. | b. | oxides. | d. | acids. | | | | |
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40.
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Growing crops on the same plot of land over many growing seasons tends
to a. | increase the
fertility of the land. | c. | have no
measurable effect on the soil. | b. | decrease the fertility of the
land. | d. | conserve the
soil. | | | | |
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