8thGradeGeologyFinalTest:Standard3
PleasedoNOTwriteonthistest
Objective 1
a1. The rock granite contains mica, hornblende, and quartz. These materials are:
A. other rocks
B. minerals
C. elements
D. solids
a2. The shiny specks found in many rocks are usually what material?
A. other rocks
B. molecules
C. elements
D. minerals
a3. There are several kinds of granite that vary from light to dark in color. What explains these
differences?
A. the ratio of dark and light minerals in granite
B. the shape and volume of the piece of granite
C. how old the piece of granite it and whether it is weathered.
D. whether the granite was formed above or below the ground.
a4. Which of the following is the best description of a mineral?
A. pure, solid, crystalline, non-living, natural
B. pure, solid or liquid, inorganic, natural
C. pure, solid, man-made or natural, non-living
D. mixture, solid, non-crystalline, natural
a5. Which best finishes this analogy: An egg is to a cake what at mineral is to a _____.
A. atom
B. cell
C. streak
D. rock
b6. Two white minerals are observed to have the same color streak. Can you conclude that the two
samples are the same?
A. Yes, two characteristics are enough to identify a mineral.
B. Yes, streak is a very important mineral test.
C. No, more tests need to be done.
D. No, streak and color are not ways to identify minerals.
Use this information to answer the next two questions:
Your fingernail and a piece of glass are helpful for identifying the hardness of minerals. If a substance
can be scratched by a fingernail, the hardness of the material is 2.5 or less, if it can be scratched by the
glass, its hardness is a 5.5 or less. The minerals of Moh’s Hardness Scale and their relative hardness
are: 1.
Talc
6.
Orthoclase
2.
Gypsum
7.
Quartz
3.
Calcite
8.
Topaz
4.
Fluorite
9.
Corundum
5.
Apatite
10.
Diamond
b7. A mineral found in the field can be scratched by a glass but CANNOT be scratched by a fingernail.
How hard is this mineral?
A. less than 2.5
B. 3.0
C. between 2.5 and 5.5
D. over 5.5
b8. A mineral CANNOT be scratched by a fingernail or glass. The mineral you are trying to identify by
scratching must be harder than:
A. Apatite
B. Othoclase
C. Quartz
D. Topaz
c9. A sample of rock has visible foliations (bands) of alternating dark and light colored crystals. Which
type of rock is the sample?
A. igneous
B. sedimentary
C. metamorphic
D. Not enough information to answer.
c10. A sample of rock has visible small, round pebbles cemented together with smaller-grained material.
Which type of rock is the sample?
A. igneous
B. sedimentary
C. metamorphic
D. Not enough information to answer.
c11. A sample of rock has no visible foliations (bands) or crystals but does contain gas bubbles. Which
type of rock is the sample?
A. igneous
B. sedimentary
C. metamorphic
D. Not enough information to answer.
Objective 2
Use the following diagram of the Rock Cycle to help you answer the following questions.
a12. Which processes and events occur at C?
A. Burial, heat & pressure, partial melting,
recrystallization
B. Burial, heat & pressure, complete melting,
crystallization
C. Weathering, erosion, deposition,
cementation and compaction
D. Weathering, erosion, deposition,
burial, heat & pressure
a13. At which points on the rock cycle is
magma present?
A. D and F
B. C and A
C. E and F
D. B and D
a14. Which of the following is true concerning the relationship between rocks on the rock cycle?
A. The rocks form in order going clockwise on the rock cycle.
B. The rocks form in order going counter-clockwise on the rock cycle.
C. Any rock can change into any other rock on the rock cycle
D. The rocks are related to the each other by the minerals that they contain.
a15. Which assumption must scientists make about the rock cycle?
A. igneous rocks cannot change into other rocks because they are already changed.
B. rocks are formed in Earth’s center and rise to the crust to form the soil.
C. igneous rocks form in volcanoes and then erode to form metamorphic rocks.
D. rocks in ancient times weathered, eroded and deposited as they do today.
b16. Which of the following processes are required in the formation of all metamorphic rock?
A. heating the rock until it melts
B. erosion of weathered materials
C. deposition and mineral cementing
D. Heat and pressure but not melting
b17. Which of the following processes are required in the formation of all igneous rock?
A. Complete melting
B. Erosion
C. Deposition
D. Compaction
b18. Which of the following processes are required in the formation of all sedimentary rock?
A. Complete melting and recrystallization
B. Heat and pressure
C. Compaction and cementation
D. Melting and cooling
b19. Which of the following describes the energy source for melting most rock inside Earth?
A. the sun
B. volcanos
C. heat inside Earth
D. erosion
c20. Which model best demonstrates how erosion changes the surface of Earth?
A. Moving sand in a sandbox with a hose.
B. Shaking a pan of sand up and down.
C. Adding sand to a pile of sand in sandbox.
D. Finding sand in a corner of a building.
Use this information to answer the next two questions:
Students use a fan to blow sand across the surface of a pan with sand in the bottom. They watch the
patterns that emerge. Two patterns are pictured below:
A
B
c21. What process did the students model?
A. water erosion
B. wind erosion
C. weathering
D. gravity
c22. What variable most likely produced the different results in “A” and “B”?
A. changing the direction of the air blowing across the sand.
B. changing the amount of sand in the pan.
C. changing the speed that the air blew out of the sand
D. changing the distance the fan was from the sand.
d23. A family wishes to build a house on a steep hillside. They call a geologist to ask if this is a good
idea. What will the geologist suggest to the family?
A. windstorms will affect the house and yard.
B. the hillside may erode and gravity will pull it down.
C. it will be difficult to grow plants on the steep hillside.
D. volcanoes are more likely on steep hillsides
d24. What force has created a pile of rocks at the base of a cliff?
A. gravity
B. rock cycle
C. push/pull
D. metamorphism
Use this information to answer the next 4 questions. Two containers were filled with the same size
pieces of gravel and water. Jar A was allowed to sit for one month with no shaking. Jar B was shaken
several times each day during the same month. The jars below show the results at the end of the
experiment.
e25. What process does this experiment model?
A. ice wedging
B. weathering
C. a landslide
D. a volcano
e26. What is an observation the students should record in their data?
A. the shaken gravel in jar B is in smaller pieces than at the beginning.
B. the jars are the same size but Jar B is filled with a different size of gravel
C. the top surface of the gravel in Jar B is not as smooth as Jar A.
D. the water has evaporated out of Jar A but not Jar B
e27. Where in nature might similar processes occur?
A. in a farmers field
B. on a mountain top
C. under a forest
D. on a river bottom
e28. Which of the following processes is most responsible for producing the material necessary to form
new soils?
A. Burial
B. Weathering
C. Deposition
D. Heat and pressure
e29. How does a scientific understanding of the slow speed of formation of soil from rock help farmers?
A. they use plants that have small root systems to use less soil.
B. they know how to produce new soil from bedrock.
C. they can use fertilizer to make the soil grow more crops.
D. they know their soil needs to be protected from erosion.
f30. A living thing dies, its body is buried by sediments and preserved. What process does this
describe?
A. fossil formation
B. sedimentation
C. deposition
D. soil formation
f31. Why does a fossil of a dinosaur bone usually not contain the internal structures of the original
bone?
A. a bone has no internal structures to be preserved
B. the original bone dissolved and was carried away before the cast formed.
C. the minerals that replaced the bone were all alike so no differences are observed
D. a fossil is only a little bit like the original and may not resemble it closely.
f32. A leaf falls in soft mud. In nature, what must happen to the leaf for it to be preserved?
A. the mold of the leaf must be formed before the leaf falls.
B. the leaf must be replaced by minerals before it decays
C. the impression of the leaf must be filled before the leaf decays.
D. the impression of the leaf must be preserved before the leaf decays
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Objective 3
a33. Why are sedimentary rocks often formed in large, flat layers?
A. Flat layers are formed whenever magma flows outward from Earth.
B. Sediments find flat surfaces on Earth to collect.
C. Sediments usually collect on Earth’s surface as flat deposits.
D. Heat and pressure cause sediments to flatten out into sheets.
a34. What must occur for loose sediments to become a rock?
A. minerals from water flowing through them must cement the sediments together
B. magma flowing upward must cement the particles of sediment together.
C. heat and pressure squeeze the sediments closely together and they begin to stick.
D. sediments are magnetized by Earths magnetic field and are attracted to each other.
a35. How do sediments carried by a river act when they reach a lake?
A. they pile up at the far end of the lake.
B. they spread out on the lake bottom
C. they form a small mountain when the river meets the lake.
D. they dissolve in the lake water and disappear.
b36. According to scientific assumptions, which rock layers in the Grand Canyon will usually contain
older fossils? Those found:
A. nearer to the surface or the top of the canyon.
B. at the edge of a cliffs.
C. in rock layers located half way down the canyon.
D. in the rock layers located deep in the canyon.
b37. The development of radioactive dating technology allowed scientists to accurately find the age of
rocks based on the decay of radioactive atoms. What assumption do scientists make when using
radioactive dating technology?
A. Technology replaces other types of scientific data gathering.
B. The technology is always correct and does not need to be checked in other ways.
C. Rocks form on Earth today at the same rate as in the past.
D. Radioactive elements decay at the same rate today as they did in the past.
Use the drawing to answer the next three questions. Assume only the fossilized bones of these
organisms remain.
a38. Where did the sediments that formed
these rocks most likely collect?
A. in a sand dune
B. in an ocean bottom
C. on a shoreline
D. on a mountaintop
b39. How does the age of the
fossils in rock layer B compare with
the fossils in rock layer A?
A. the fossils in layer B are younger.
B. the fossils in both layers are about the
same age.
C. the fossils in rock layer A are younger.
D. the position of the rock layers has no
connection with their ages.
e40. Which layer contains fossils more closely related to fish found on Earth today?
A. Layer A, it is the newest and has the most recent fossils.
B. Layer A, it is contains fossils that are the largest and most complex.
C. Layer B, it contains more different kinds of fossils.
D. Layer B, C or D, they contain fish fossils that look more like today’s fish.
c41. What conditions would allow older sedimentary rock to lie in layers above younger sedimentary
rock?
A. rocks that formed in desert environments
B. places where fossils were located
C. areas that were underwater for long periods of time
D. areas of faulting and folding
Use this diagram to answer the next two questions:
c42. Which location shows older rocks above younger rocks?
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
c43. Based on the diagram, what force most likely created the changes to the bottom three layers?
A. compression causing folding
B. compression causing stretching
C. tension causing faulting
D. tension causing waving
d44. Which of the following is a typical location where a bone or shell could become petrified?
A. buried in the sand of a desert.
B. submerged in shallow water or mud.
C. in the frozen soil of the arctic.
D. covered with leaves in a tropical rainforest.
d45. In a region of Wyoming covered by rolling hills, small lakes, and dry gulches, a petrified shark’s
tooth was found. What does this fossil indicate about the geological history of this region?
A. it was once covered with a vast freshwater lake.
B. it was once covered by a swamp or marshland.
C. it was once covered by an ocean.
D. it has always had the same geography as it has today.
d46. What evidence do scientists have that supports the idea that Earth’s surface has changed over
time?
A. fossils of rainforest plants in areas that are deserts today.
B. rocks that came from outer space
C. modern plants and animals that look like ancient organisms.
D. climates in some places on Earth that are different than other places.
d47. In the dry and hilly region of southeast Utah, many fossil remains have been uncovered. Trilobite
casts, petrified bones of alligators, and preserved dinosaur footprints, were all found in the same
location, but in different rock layers. What do these fossil remains tell about the history of this region?
A. this area was a gathering place for a variety of animals.
B. ancient flooding in this region washed fossil remains into this area.
C. the Earth’s surface and climate has changed over time.
D. this region has always had hot, dry climates.
e48. Scientists collected fossils long before they knew the ages and relationships of one ancient
organism to another. What additional knowledge was needed to form the modern view of prehistoric
Earth history?
A. Studies showing the age and positions of rocks in layers.
B. A book to explain the way Earth formed and life developed.
C. A collection of the types of rocks found in the rock cycle.
D. A key to name the types of animals found in ancient times.
e49. Why do recently deposited rock layers contain fossils more like animals that are alive today?
A. Rocks that are deposited over time may have moved.
B. Animals cannot form fossils if they are alive today.
C. Rock layers do not change quickly.
D. The fossils are the most recent ancestors of today’s animals.
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Objective 4
a50. What is the source of energy for earthquakes and volcanoes?
A. the sun
B. gravity
C. heat from Earth’s interior
D. meteors that have hit Earth
a51. A volcano near a city is threatening to erupt. The city asks a scientist to stop the eruption.
What should the scientist do?
A. pour water on the volcano to cool it off.
B. cover it with dirt to prevent the explosion.
C. drop a bomb on it so the eruption can be predicted.
D. nothing, the volcano starts deep underground.
a52. Earthquakes occur when Earth’s crust moves along a fault. How is the energy of an
earthquake transferred?
A. as heat
B. in waves
C. as atmospheric currents
D. in electrical discharges
b53.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Which of the following best describes how volcanoes transfer energy?
Volcanoes carry heat from the surface to the deep interior of Earth.
Volcanoes gather heat from the sun and give it off as light and sound.
Heat and mechanical energy are transferred as magma flows from a volcano.
Magma produced by a volcano can carry heat but not energy.
b54. Earthquakes are the result of what type of energy transfer?
A. the mechanical slipping of fault creates seismic waves
B. The heat in magma is transferred into mechanical movement.
C. igneous rocks transform to metamorphic rocks.
D. electrical energy in lightning is transferred to seismic waves.
b55. What effect does the energy released by volcanoes and earthquakes have when they occur
near human populations? The energy
A. can be stored to use later
B. can hurt people and damage property
C. can pass through without creating much change
D. is released into space where it disappears.
c56. Two students make models of earthquakes. Tom slowly bends a popsicle stick, breaking it,
and feels the snap in his hands. Tina drops a rock into a pan of water and watches the waves
travel outward. Which model provides scientific data?
A. Tina’s model creates data that is easier to measure.
B. Tom’s model uses equipment that is more accurate for predictions.
C. both are good models that show characteristics of earthquake waves.
D. neither model shows the correct scientific methods that are used by scientists.
d57. A homebuilder wishes to build homes on an earthquake fault where the view is beautiful.
What would a geologist recommend? The geologist will
A. explain the earthquake potential of the site.
B. tell the homebuilder if houses could be built or not.
C. guarantee the houses could be protected from earthquake waves.
D. sell the homebuilder excellent insurance policies.
d58. A home builder asks a city planning department if new homes can be built in a certain area.
What research should the city planning department consider so that the homes are safe?
A. historical research that shows what the land has been used for.
B. scientific research that shows if geological hazards exist.
C. political research to find out if anyone is against the development.
D. social research to see if the land could be used for something more important.
e59. Which of the following best describes the time scale involved in the erosion of a mountain
range into a flat plain? It occurs over a period of
A. hundreds of years in a sudden event
B. hundreds of years, a little at a time
C. millions of years in a sudden event
D. millions of years, a little at a time
e60. A student learns in school that landforms change in size and shape. He asks his
grandfather if the mountains near their town have always been the same. His Grandfather says
they have not changed and he has lived there all his life. Who is correct?
A. school because it only teaches facts.
B. school because this information is carefully researched.
C. Grandfather because he has actually lived near the mountains
D. both school and grandfather are correct, they are using different time scales.
Objective 1:
1. B
2. D
3. A
4. A
5. D
6. C
7. C
8. A
9. C
10. B
11. A
Objective 2:
12. C
13. A
14. C
15. D
16. D
17. A
18. C
19. C
20. A
21. B
22. A
23. B
24. A
25. B
26. A
27. D
28. B
29. D
30. A
31. B
32. D
8thGradeGeologyTest:Standard3,Objec;ve1
KEY
Objective 3:
33. C
34. A
35. B
35. D
37. D
38. B
39. C
40. A
41. D
42. B
43. A
44. B
45. C
46. A
47. C
48. A
49. D
Objective 4:
50. C
51. D
52. B
53. C
54. A
55. B
56. C
57. A
58. B
59. D
60. D