Earth Science
Midterm
Exam Review
2015
1. Which action can be performed most accurately
using only the human senses?
A. Counting 28 shells from the beach
B. Adding 10 grams of salt to a cup of water
C. Measuring the air pressure of a room
D. Tearing a sheet of paper into squares whose
sides measure 1 centimeter
6. Daily weather forecasts are based primarily on
a. seismic data
b. air mass movements
c. ocean currents
d. phases of the moon
7. The sphere was dropped into water in a
graduated cylinder as shown below.
2. Which statement about a burning candle is
most likely an inference?
a. Carbon dioxide and water vapor are
produced by the burning
b. The wick gets shorter as the candle burns
c. The flame is yellow
d. The candle wax is melting
3. Which statement made during a weather report
is most likely an inference?
a. The record low temperature for this date
was set in 1957
b. The high temperature for the day was
recorded at 2 p.m.
c. The current barometric pressure is 29.97 in.
d. Hot and humid conditions will continue
throughout the week.
What is the volume of the sphere?
a. 15 mL
b. 25 mL
c. 40 mL
d. 65 mL
8. The diagram below shows a glass jar containing
a clear liquid and a floating rock.
4.
If each side of the cube shown above has the
same length as the measured side, what is the
approximate volume of the cube?
a. 2.20 cm3
b. 4.84 cm3
c. 6.60 cm3
d. 10.65 cm3
5. Compared to the density of liquid water, the
density of an ice cube is
a. always less
b. always greater
c. always the same
d. sometimes less and sometimes greater
a. The rock is less dense than the liquid
b. The rock is more dense than the liquid
c. The rock and the liquid have the same
density
9. Which weather conditions are most probable
when the moisture content of the air increases,
resulting in a lower atmospheric pressure?
a. cold and windy
b. partly cloudy, with skies becoming clear
c. cloudy, with a chance of precipitation
d. sunny and fair
10. The map below shows high pressure and low
pressure weather systems in the United States.
14. As the temperature of the atmosphere at a
given location increases, the air pressure will
most likely
a. decrease
b. increase
c. remain the same
15. The dew point changes most directly as a result
of changes in the atmosphere’s
a. water vapor content
b. pressure
c. wind direction
d. convection currents
Which two lettered positions on the map are
most likely receiving precipitation?
a. B and D
b. C and E
c. A and D
d. A and B
16. Adjacent land and ocean surfaces have the
same temperature at sunrise on a clear, calm,
summer day. Then the land and water are
heated by the sun for several hours. Which
cross section shows the most likely direction of
surface winds that will develop at this ocean
shore?
11. Weather station measurements indicate that
the dew point temperature and air temperature
are getting farther apart and that air pressure is
rising. Which type of weather is most likely
arriving at the station?
a. cool, dry air
b. a warm front
c. a snowstorm
d. maritime tropical air
12. Which weather change is most likely indicated
by rapidly falling air pressure?
a. temperature is decreasing
b. a storm is approaching
c. humidity is decreasing
d. skies are clearing
13. The diagram below shows the isolines of air
pressure around a low pressure center. On
which side of the low pressure center will the
wind speed be greatest?
a.
b.
c.
d.
east
south
west
north
17. The surface winds in a typical Northern
Hemisphere high pressure system are generally
moving
a. clockwise away from the high pressure
center
b. counterclockwise away from the high
pressure center
c. clockwise toward the high pressure center
d. counterclockwise toward the high pressure
center
18. As warm, moist air moves into a region,
barometric pressure readings in the region will
generally
a. decrease
b. increase
c. remain the same
19. Base your answer to the following question on
the weather map below, which shows the
location of fronts and the temperature field on
a given day in the United States.
Which two cities most likely have an air
temperature closest to 75° F?
a. Chicago and Detroit
b. Los Angeles and Denver
c. Cincinnati and Kansas City
d. Oklahoma and Memphis
20. Tornadoes occur when a very cold, dry air mass
meets a very warm, wet air mass. Which two
air masses would most likely form a tornado
when they meet?
a. cP and cA
b. cP and mT
c. mP and mT
d. cT and mP
21. The greatest atmospheric pressure occurs in the
a. stratosphere
b. mesosphere
c. troposphere
d. thermosphere
22. Which statement most accurately describes the
Earth’s atmosphere?
a. the atmosphere’s altitude is less than the
depth of the ocean
b. the atmosphere is layered, with each layer
possessing distinct characteristics
c. the atmosphere is a shell of gases
surrounding most of the Earth
d. the atmosphere is more dense than the
hydrosphere but less dense than the
lithosphere
23. Base your answer to the following question on
the diagram below.
The wind direction at station A is
a. northeast
b. southeast
c. northwest
d. southwest
24. Which pie chart best represents the volume of
gases in the troposphere?
25. Which layer of the atmosphere has the greatest
density?
a. stratosphere
b. troposphere
c. thermosphere
d. mesosphere
26. The cross section below shows a weather front.
The large arrow shows the direction of the
movement of the cool air mass.
Which type of weather front is shown?
a. stationary front
b. warm front
c. cold front
d. occluded front
27. Which graph best represents the relationship
between air temperature and elevation in the
troposphere?
28. Which statement best describes the
stratosphere?
a. it has greater pressure at the top than at the
bottom
b. it is warmer at the top than at the bottom
c. it absorbs large amounts of water vapor
from the troposphere
d. it is located 75 kilometers above sea level
29. In which atmospheric layer is most water vapor
found?
a. troposphere
b. stratosphere
c. thermosphere
d. mesosphere
34. The graph below shows the average
concentration of ozone in Earth’s atmosphere
over Arizona during 4 months of the year.
30. Scientists have inferred that Earth’s original
atmosphere was formed by the
a. release of gases from volcanic eruptions
b. decay of microorganisms in Earth’s oceans
c. radioactive decay of elements in Earth’s core
d. erosion of Earth’s surface
31. Which list shows atmospheric layers in the
correct order upward from the Earth’s surface?
a. thermosphere, troposphere, mesosphere,
stratosphere
b. thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere,
troposphere
c. troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere,
thermosphere
d. stratosphere, mesosphere, troposphere,
thermosphere
32. The primary source of most of the moisture for
the Earth’s atmosphere is
a. oceans
b. melting glaciers
c. rivers and lakes
d. soil-moisture storage
33. If the base of a cloud is located at an altitude of
2 kilometers and the top of the cloud is located
at an altitude of 8 kilometers, this cloud is
located in the
a. stratosphere, only
b. troposphere and stratosphere
c. stratosphere and mesosphere
d. troposphere, only
Which layer of Earth’s atmosphere contains the
greatest concentration of ozone?
a. thermosphere
b. stratosphere
c. troposphere
d. mesosphere
35. What happens to most of the sunlight that
strikes a dark-colored area of the Earth’s
surface?
a. it is reflected and scattered as potential
energy
b. it is absorbed and reflected as light
c. it is absorbed and re-radiated as heat
d. it is reflected and diffused as ultraviolet
radiation
36. Two identical towels are hanging on a
clothesline in a sunny location. One towel is
wet, the other is dry. What is one reason that
the wet towel feels cooler than the dry towel?
a. the dry towel has more room for the heat
storage than the wet towel does
b. water in the wet towel prevents absorption
of heat energy
c. water in the wet towel is evaporating
d. the dry towel receives more heat energy
from the Sun than the wet towel does
37. The diagram below shows four different
chemical materials escaping from the interior of
early Earth.
Which material contributed least to the early
composition of the atmosphere?
a. N2
b. H2O
c. CO2
d. SiO2
38. An observer recorded the barometric pressure
while traveling up the west side of a mountain
and down the other side. Which graph best
represents the probable air pressure changes
that were observed?
Base your answer to questions 41 and 42 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.
39. Which temperature zone layer of Earth’s
atmosphere is shown in the cross section?
a. thermosphere
b. troposphere
c. stratosphere
d. mesosphere
40. What is the approximate percentage by volume
of oxygen present in Earth’s atmosphere at
location 2?
a. 10%
b. 21%
c. 33%
d. 46
41. When a person leaves the ocean after
swimming on a windy day, the person usually
feels cold because
a. water evaporates from the skin
b. water condenses on the skin
c. radiation is absorbed through the skin
d. salt is absorbed through the skin
42. Which process is primarily responsible for the
transfer of energy by air currents within the
Earth’s atmosphere?
a. absorption
b. radiation
c. conduction
d. convection
45. The diagram below shows the pattern of air
movement within a closed room.
43. The diagram below shows a solid iron bar that is
being heated in a flame.
Which type of energy transfer is indicated by
the arrows in the diagram?
a. conduction
b. convection
c. radiation
d. insolation
The primary method of heat transfer in the solid
iron bar is
a. conduction
b. convection
c. absorption
d. advection
44. Earth’s early atmosphere formed during the
early Archean Era. Which gas was generally
absent from the atmosphere at that time?
a. water vapor
b. oxygen
c. nitrogen
d. carbon dioxide
46. Why are some scientists concerned about an
increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere?
a. an increase would cause an overall heating
up of the Earth’s atmosphere
b. an increase would cause energy to flow
from energy sinks to energy sources
c. an increase would change the decay rate of
C14
d. an increase would cause more ultraviolet
energy to strike the Earth’s out atmosphere
d. carbon dioxide
47. Based on the data collected, which graph best
represents the relationship between elevation
above sea level and air pressure?
48. A high pressure center is generally
characterized by
a. warm, wet weather
b. cool, dry weather
c. warm, dry weather
d. cool, wet weather
53. Most of the Earth’s surface ocean currents are
caused by
a. stream flow from continents
b. differences in ocean water density
c. the revolution of the Earth
d. the prevailing winds
49. Which method of energy transfer is primarily
responsible for energy being lost from Earth
into space?
a. conduction
b. radiation
c. solidification
d. convection
54. Waste produced by people in Delaware has
been dumped into the Atlantic Ocean, where it
is distributed by surface ocean currents. Which
coastal area is most likely to become polluted
by this waste?
a. western coast of Europe
b. southern coast of South America
c. western coast of Mexico
d. eastern coast of Africa
50. Air pressure is usually highest when the air is
a. warm and dry
b. cold and humid
c. cold and dry
d. warm and humid
55. Base your answer to the following question on
the map below. Letters A through F are
locations on Earth’s surface.
51. Which map best represents the surface wind
pattern around a Northern Hemisphere highpressure center?
52. Which action can be performed most accurately
using only the human senses?
a. tearing a sheet of paper into squares whose
sides measure 1 centimeter
b. adding 10 grams of salt to a cup of water
c. measuring the air pressure of a room
d. counting 28 shells from a beach
Ocean currents at location A move clockwise,
and ocean currents at location B move counterclockwise. These currents curve due to Earth’s
a. internal structure
b. rotation
c. magnetic field
d. revolution
56. Base your answer to the following question on
the diagram below of a weather instrument.
Which weather variable is the instrument
designed to measure?
a. air pressure
b. relative humidity
c. visibility
d. dew point temperature
57. Base your answer to the following question on the map below.
Under normal climate conditions, what are the characteristics of the surface ocean current that flows along
most of the west coast of South America?
a. cool water moving toward the equator
b. cool water moving away from the equator
c. warm water moving toward the equator
d. warm water moving away from the equator
58. An ice cube is placed in a glass of water at room
temperature. Which heat exchange occurs
between the ice and the water within the first
minute?
a. the ice cube loses heat and the water gains
heat
b. both the ice cube and the water gain heat
c. both the ice cube and the water lose heat
d. the ice cube gains heat and the water loses
heat
59. As a lake’s water temperature decreases on a
cloudy night, what occurs at the interface
between the lake’s surface and the air above
the lake?
a. energy given up by the lake is lost directly to
outer space
b. more energy is gained by the lake than is
gained by the air
c. the temperature of the air remains constant
d. energy is gained by the air from the lake
60. An ice cube is placed in a glass of water at room
temperature. Which heat exchange occurs
between the ice and the water within the first
minute?
a. the ice cube loses heat and the water gains
heat
b. both the ice cube and the water gain heat
c. both the ice cube and the water lose heat
d. the ice cube gains heat and the water loses
heat
61. Which statement is the best example of heat
energy transfer by conduction?
a. heat energy is transferred from the Earth’s
surface to the upper atmosphere
b. heat energy is transferred from the Sun to
the Earth
c. heat energy is transferred from the surface
soil to the rocks below
d. heat energy is transferred from the bottom
to the top of a lake
62. Base your answers to the next 2 questions on
the map below.
The air pressure recorded at Point D was most
likely
a. 1012 mb
b. 1014 mb
c. 1010 mb
d. 1006 mb
63. Which location most likely recorded the highest
wind speed?
a. A
b. B
c. C
d. D
64. How does the amount of heat energy reflected
by a smooth, dark-colored concrete surface
compare with the amount of heat energy
reflected by a smooth, light-colored concrete
surface?
a. the dark-colored surface will reflect more
heat energy
b. the dark-colored surface will reflect less
heat energy
c. the dark-colored surface will reflect the
same amount of heat energy
65. Which statement is the best example of heat
energy transfer by conduction?
a. heat energy is transferred from the Earth’s
surface to the upper atmosphere
b. heat energy is transferred from the Sun to
the Earth
c. heat energy is transferred from the surface
soil to the rocks below
d. heat energy is transferred from the bottom
to the top of a lake
68. Which atmospheric conditions would cause
smoke from a campfire on a beach to blow
toward the ocean?
a. warm air over the land and cool air over the
ocean
b. high air pressure over the land and low
pressure over the ocean
c. low-density air over the land and highdensity air over the ocean
d. humid air over the land and dry air over the
ocean
66. The Florida and Gulf Stream ocean currents
along the east coast of North America are both
a. warm currents that flow northeastward
b. warm currents that flow southwestward
c. cool currents that flow northeastward
d. cool currents that flow southwestward
69. During a total solar eclipse one might view
a. sunspots
c. sun’s corona
b. the sun’s solar wind
d. nothing of the sun, since it is totally blocked
by moon
67. Base your question to the following question on
the data table below, which shows the air
pressure and air temperatures collected by nine
observers at different elevations on the same
side of a high mountain.
70. The cross section of a house is shown below.
Open stairways allow air to move from one
floor to another. The ridge vent is an opening in
the roof that allows air to move in or out of the
attic.
From sea level to an elevation of 1200 meters,
air pressure decreased at the rate of
a. 1.0 mb/m
b. 10.0 mb/m
c. 0.1 mb/m
d. 100.0 mb/m
During a windless summer day, the air inside
this house is warmed by the Sun. In which cross
section do the arrows show the most likely air
movement when the windows are opened?
a.
b.
c.
d.
71. The fusion reaction that produces the sun’s
energy occurs in
a. the sun’s interior or core
b. sunspot umbras
c . solar prominences
d. the sun’s photosphere
72. Compared to the Earth’s diameter, the sun’s
diameter is about
a. the same
b. 400 times greater
c. 110 times greater
d. 745 times greater
76. Which diagram best represents a portion of the
heliocentric model of the solar system? [S=Sun,
E=Earth, and M=Moon]
a.
b.
c.
d.
73. __________________ developed the Three
Laws of Planetary Motion.
a. Isaac Newton
c. Johannes Kepler
b. Tycho Brahe
d. Bill Nye
74. Which change always occurs as the distance
between the Earth and the Sun decreases?
a. the gravitational force between the Earth
and the Sun decreases
b. the Sun’s apparent diameter decreases
c. the Sun’s rate of rotation increases
d. the Earth’s orbital speed increases
75. The diagram below represents a student’s
constructed laboratory drawing.
77. In our solar system, the orbits of the planets are
best described as
a. circular, with the planet at the center
b. circular, with the Sun at the center
c. elliptical, with the planet at one of the foci
d. elliptical, with the Sun at one of the foci
78. Which diagram shows a planetary orbit with a
low eccentricity?
( Key:  = planet * = star )
a.
b.
The student’s drawing best represents the
a. shape of Earth’s Moon
b. shape of an elliptical orbit
c. path of an earthquake wave
d. path of a projectile deflected by Earth’s
rotatio
c.
d.
79. For what reason did the heliocentric model of
the universe replace the geocentric model of
the universe?
a. The geocentric model no longer predicted
the positions of the constellations.
b. The geocentric model did not predict the
phases of the Moon
c. The heliocentric model provided a simpler
explanation of the motions of the planets
d. The heliocentric model proved that the
Earth rotates.
85. The diagram below represents the Earth’s
orbital path around the Sun. The Earth takes
the same amount of time to move from A to B
as from C to D.
80. The diagram below shows a planet’s orbit
around the Sun.
At which location is the planet’s orbital velocity
greatest?
a. A
c. C
b. B
d. D
81. What technology did Galileo Galilei use to prove
Copernicus and Kepler were right?
a. telescope
c. microscope
b. satellite
d. spectroscope
82. Which layer of the sun is the most dense?
a. chromospheres
c. core
b. photosphere
d. corona
83. The sun emits energy by converting hydrogen
into helium. What is this process called?
a. sunspot formation
c. solar wind
b. fusion
d. fission
84. Which motion causes the apparent rising and
setting of the Moon each day, as seen from a
location in Ashburn, Virginia?
a. the Earth rotation on its axis
b. the Earth revolving around the Sun
c. the Moon rotating on its axis
d. the Moon revolving around the Earth
Which values are equal within the system?
a. the shaded sections of the diagram are
equal in area
b. the distance from the Sun to the Earth is
the same at point A and at point D
c. the orbital velocity of the Earth at point A
equals its orbital velocity at point C
d. the gravitational force between the Earth
and the Sun at point B is the same as the
gravitational force at point D
86. Which layer of the sun is the visible surface?
a. chromosphere
c. corona
b. photosphere
d. radiation zone
87. __________ is credited with proposing the
heliocentric model of the solar system.
a. Nicholas Copernicus
b. Tycho Brahe
c. Ptolemy
d. Johannes Kepler
_______ 88. The Great Red Spot is a feature of
a) Earth
b) Jupiter
c) Saturn
d) Mars
_______ 89. Saturn and the other gas planets are mostly made up of
a) water
b) carbon dioxide
c) iron
d) hydrogen and helium
_______90. The farthest planet from the sun is
a) Saturn
b) Jupiter
c) Mars
d) Neptune
_______ 91. The planet that is heavily cratered like the moon is
a) Mercury
b) Jupiter
c) Saturn
d) Uranus
_______ 92. The hottest planet in the solar system due to the greenhouse effect is
a) Mercury
c) Earth
b) Venus
d) Mars
_______ 93. Unlike the other planets, the axis of Uranus is
a) upside down
b) vertical
c) tipped on its side
d) tilted 23 ½ degree
_______ 94. The largest planet in the solar system is
a) Jupiter
b) Saturn
c) Uranus
d) Neptune
_______ 95. Astronomers predicted Neptune’s existence using
a) telescopes
b) math
c) radar
d) computers
_______ 96. Saturn’s rings are made mostly of
a) gas
b) dust
c) silicon
d) ice and rock
_______ 97. Which of the following is not a terrestrial planet?
a) Mercury
b) Venus
c) Mars
d) Jupiter
_______ 98. What is the term that describes the big, outer gas planets?
a) Terrestrial
b) Galilean
c) Celestial
d) Jovian
_______ 99. Which planet orbits the sun in the shortest period of time?
a) Mercury
b) Venus
c) Earth
d) Mars
_______ 100. The Asteroid Belt is located between what two planets?
a) Uranus and Neptune
b) Mars and Jupiter
c) Venus and Earth
d) Neptune and Pluto