1. The Earth is slightly flattened from a perfect spherical
shape because of
A)
B)
C)
D)
its rotation
the pull of the sun and moon
storms on the sun's surface
its molten core
2. Which diagram most accurately shows the
cross-sectional shape of the Earth?
A)
C)
B)
D)
4. The Earth's actual shape is most correctly described as
A) a circle
C) an oblate sphere
B) a perfect sphere
D) an eccentric ellipse
5. Which object best represents a true scale model of the
shape of the Earth?
A) a Ping-Pong ball
C) an egg
B) a football
D) a pear
6. Compared to the weight of a person at the North Pole,
the weight of the same person at the Equator would be
A) slightly less, because the person is farther
from the center of Earth
B) slightly less, because the person is closer to the
center of Earth
C) slightly more, because the person is farther from
the center of Earth
D) slightly more, because the person is closer to the
center of Earth
7. Precise measurements of the Earth indicate that its
polar diameter is
3. The diagrams below represent photographs of a large
sailboat taken through a telescope over time as the
boat sailed away from shore out to sea. Each diagram
shows the magnification of the lenses and the time of
day.
A) shorter than its equatorial diameter
B) longer than its equatorial diameter
C) the same length as its equatorial diameter
8. Measurements taken from space show the Earth to be
A)
B)
C)
D)
Which statement best explains the apparent sinking of
this sailboat?
A) The sailboat is moving around the curved
surface of Earth.
B) The sailboat appears smaller as it moves farther
away.
C) The change in density of the atmosphere is
causing refraction of light rays.
D) The tide is causing an increase in the depth of
the ocean.
greatest in diameter at the Equator
greatest in diameter at the poles
a perfect sphere
pear shaped
9. A gravity meter is used to measure the amount of
gravitational pull at the Earth's North Pole and at the
Earth's Equator. How would these readings of
gravitational pull compare? [Assume both readings
are taken at sea level.]
A) The reading would be lower at the North Pole
than at the Equator.
B) The reading would be higher at the North
Pole than at the Equator.
C) The readings would be the same at the North
Pole and at the Equator.
10. The best evidence that the Earth has a spherical
shape is provided by
A) photographs of the Earth taken from space
satellites
B) the amount of daylight received at the North
Pole on June 21
C) the changing orbital speed of the Earth in its
orbit around the Sun
D) the cyclic change of seasons
11. In the diagram below, letters A through D represent
the locations of four observers on the Earth's
surface. Each observer has the same mass.
13. The polar circumference of the Earth is 40,008
kilometers. What is the equatorial circumference?
A) 12,740 km
C) 40,008 km
B) 25,000 km
D) 40,076 km
14. Which diagram most accurately shows the
cross-sectional shape of the Earth drawn to scale?
A)
B)
C)
D)
15. An observer watching a sailing ship at sea notes that
the ship appears to be "sinking" as it moves away.
Which statement best explains this observation?
The gravitational force is strongest between the
center of the Earth and the observer at location
A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
12. The table below shows the distance that an observer
must travel on a north-south line along the surface of
the Earth in order to change the observed altitude of
Polaris by 5°.
The best inference about the Earth's shape that can
be made from these observations is that the Earth
A)
B)
C)
D)
is a perfect sphere
is flattened at the Equator
has a curved surface
has a very smooth surface
A)
B)
C)
D)
The surface of the ocean has depressions.
The Earth has a curved surface.
The Earth is rotating.
The Earth is revolving.
16. The best evidence of the Earth's nearly spherical
shape is obtained through
A) telescopic observations of other planets
B) photographs of the Earth from an orbiting
satellite
C) observations of the Sun's altitude made during
the day
D) observations of the Moon made during lunar
eclipses
17. According to the data below, what is the exact shape
of the Earth?
20. Which pie graph correctly shows the percentage of
elements by volume in Earth’s troposphere?
A)
A) slightly flattened at both the Equator and the
Poles
B) slightly bulging at both the Equator and the
Poles
C) slightly flattened at the Equator and slightly
bulging at the Poles
D) slightly flattened at the Poles and slightly
bulging at the Equator
18. The north-south distance between the Earth's
Equator (0º) and the North Pole (90º N) is 10,002
kilometers. The distance between 0º and 10º N is
1,106 kilometers. Which statement is best supported
by this information?
A) The shape of the Earth is not perfectly
spherical.
B) The lines of longitude are not parallel.
C) The north-south distance for every 10º of
latitude is a constant value.
D) The Earth's equatorial radius and polar radius
are equal.
19. What is the approximate percent of oxygen by
volume present in Earth’s lower atmosphere?
A) 21% B) 33% C) 46% D) 94%
B)
C)
D)
21. Base your answer to the following question on the cross section below and on your knowledge of
Earth science. The cross section shows the general movement of air within a portion of Earth’s
atmosphere located between 30° N and 30° S latitude. Numbers 1 and 2 represent different locations
in the atmosphere.
What is the approximate percentage by volume of oxygen present in Earth’s atmosphere at location
2?
A) 10%
B) 21%
C) 33%
22. Earth’s troposphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere
contain relatively large amounts of which element?
A) iron
C) hydrogen
B) oxygen
D) potassium
23. Which element has the highest percentage by
volume in the troposphere?
A) oxygen
C) hydrogen
B) nitrogen
D) carbon dioxide
24. Which circle graph best represents the volume of
gases in the troposphere?
A)
B)
C)
D)
D) 46%
25. Which statement most accurately describes the
Earth's atmosphere?
A) The atmosphere is layered, with each layer
possessing distinct characteristics.
B) The atmosphere is a shell of gases surrounding
most of the Earth.
C) The atmosphere's altitude is less than the depth
of the ocean.
D) The atmosphere is more dense than the
hydrosphere but less dense than the lithosphere.
26. Which bar graph best shows the percent by volume of the elements that make up Earth's
hydrosphere?
A)
B)
C)
D)
27. Earth's hydrosphere is best described as the
A) solid outer layer of Earth
B) liquid outer layer of Earth
C) magma layer located below Earth's stiffer
mantle
D) gaseous layer extending several hundred
kilometers from Earth into space
29. The graph below represents percentage of elements
by volume.
28. Which graph best represents the percentage by
volume of the elements making up the Earth's
hydrosphere?
A)
B)
This graph best represents the elements of the
Earth's
A) lithosphere
C) troposphere
C)
D)
B) hydrosphere
D) stratosphere
30. Which two elements make up the greatest
percentages by mass in Earth's crust?
A)
B)
C)
D)
oxygen and potassium
oxygen and silicon
aluminum and potassium
aluminum and silicon
31. Oxygen is the most abundant element by volume in
Earth's
A) inner core
C) hydrosphere
B) troposphere
D) crust
32. The pie graph below shows the elements comprising
Earth's crust in percent by mass.
Which element is represented by the letter X?
A) silicon
C) nitrogen
B) lead
D) hydrogen
33. The two elements that make up the largest
percentage by mass of Earth’s crust are oxygen and
A) silicon
C) hydrogen
B) potassium
D) nitrogen
34. Which element is most abundant in Earth’s
lithosphere?
A) oxygen
C) hydrogen
B) silicon
D) nitrogen
35. Which graph correctly represents the three most abundant elements, by mass, in Earth’s crust?
A)
B)
C)
D)
36. The layer of bedrock near the Earth's surface that
forms a continuous shell around the Earth is called
the
A) troposphere
C) lithosphere
B) stratosphere
D) hydrosphere
Answer Key
Shape and Spheres of Earth
1.
A
2.
D
3.
A
4.
C
5.
A
6.
A
7.
A
8.
A
9.
B
10.
A
11.
D
12.
C
13.
D
14.
A
15.
B
16.
B
17.
D
18.
A
19.
A
20.
A
21.
B
22.
B
23.
B
24.
A
25.
A
26.
A
27.
B
28.
D
29.
B
30.
B
31.
D
32.
A
33.
A
34.
A
35.
D
36.
C