Grade 8 Science
Unit 2: Earth’s Crust
As you take this quiz use all of your resources to help you answer the
questions (notes, book, internet, etc.). You will write your name on a
blank sheet of paper along with the date and your class hour. That sheet
of paper is where you will write your answers. Number the paper 1-5. You
only have to write the letter of your answer for questions 1-4 when you get
to number 5 label each part a and b and write in a complete sentence.
Then, number the paper 6-12. You only have to write the letter of your
answer for questions 6-11 when you get to number 12 label each part a
and b and write in a complete sentence.
Mesosaurus was a small reptile that swam in shallow coastal waters about 275
million years ago. It couldn’t have crossed an ocean, yet Mesosaurus fossils are
found in both South America and Africa in locations X and Y as shown on the map
below.
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a. Mesosaurus migrated across the ocean from location X to
location Y.
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b. Mesosaurus came into existence on several widely separated
continents at different times.
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Choose
Answer
Which statement represents the most logical conclusion to
draw from this evidence?
Answer
Eliminator
Question 1:
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c. The present climates at locations X and Y are similar.
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d. The continents of South America and Africa were joined when
Mesosaurus lived.
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A lab group of five students each used the same meter stick to measure the length
of an aluminum rod. They made their measurements over a 5-minute time
interval. Their results are shown in the table below.
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a. The length of the rod changes with temperature.
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b. The markings on the meter stick are inaccurately placed.
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c. The reported length of the rod is 37.5 cm because that is the
average of the measurements.
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d. The actual length of the rod is 37.5 cm because that
measurement appears three times.
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Choose
Answer
On the basis of these results only, which of these conclusions
is most valid?
Answer
Eliminator
Question 2:
Which of the following provides evidence for plate tectonics?
Answer
Eliminator
Choose
Answer
Question 3:
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a. sea-floor topography
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b. ocean currents
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c. Coriolis effect
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d. atmospheric temperatures
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The chart below shows a part of Mohs hardness scale for minerals. A student is
testing an unknown mineral for hardness. The unknown mineral is tested against
fluorite, but neither mineral scratches the other.
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a. The unknown mineral and apatite will not scratch each other.
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b. The unknown mineral and calcite will not scratch each other.
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c. The unknown mineral will scratch apatite.
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d. The unknown mineral will scratch calcite.
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Choose
Answer
Which of the following conclusions can the student
accurately make?
Answer
Eliminator
Question 4:
Question 5:
The diagram in the box is a simplified model of the rock
cycle. The rock cycle is a combination of processes that
alter rocks during rock formation.
a. Name the three types of rock to complete the model.
(Highlight this text and begin typing or hit ‘Delete’ to begin your response.)
b.
Describe at least two processes involved in rock formation.
(Highlight this text and begin typing or hit ‘Delete’ to begin your response.)
Grade 8 Science Technology Integration
Unit 3: Geologic History of Earth
A team of scientists is studying the fossils in the cross-section of rock shown below.
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e. layers 1 and 3
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f. layers 2 and 4
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g. layers 3 and 7
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h. layers 6 and 7
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Choose
Answer
In which layers of rock are the oldest leaf and fish fossils
found?
Answer
Eliminator
Question 6:
Question 7:
When comparing fossil A to fossil
B, which statements are most
likely correct?
Answer
Eliminator
Choose Answer
The diagram in the box shows a
geologic cross-section.
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a. Fossil B is older than fossil A.
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b. Fossil B is larger than fossil A.
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c. Fossil B formed before fossil A.
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d. Only fossil B is metamorphic.
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e. Only fossil B was once an organism.
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It has been determined that the oldest rocks retrieved from the
Moon by Apollo astronauts were formed 4.44 billion years ago, while
the oldest rocks found on Earth are less than 4 billion years old.
This difference is most likely due to which statement?
Answer
Eliminator
Choose Answer
Question 8:
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a. Earth formed well after the Moon was formed.
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b. Earth cooled more slowly than the Moon.
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c. Earth’s oldest rocks have been recycled by plate tectonics and
erosion.
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d. Earth and the Moon were both captured by the Sun’s gravity at
different times.
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Question 9:
According to the graph in
the box, what percentage
of a radioactive isotope is
left after two half-lives?
Answer
Eliminator
Choose Answer
In order to obtain an estimate
of the actual age of a fossil,
scientists can use absolute
(radioactive) dating.
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a. 75%
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b. 50%
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c. 25%
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d. 13%
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In this section of undisturbed
sedimentary layers, which statement
best describes layer 2?
Answer
Eliminator
Choose Answer
Question 10:
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a. It was intruded into layer 1.
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b. It was intruded into layer 3.
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c. It was deposited after layer 1.
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d. It was deposited after layer 3.
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Rocks found on land are up to 3.8 billion years old, but those in the ocean are no
more than 180 million years old.
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e. Triassic
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f. Paleozoic
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g. Precambrian
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h. Mesozoic
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Choose
Answer
Using the information shown above, during which era could
parts of the ocean floor have formed?
Answer
Eliminator
Question 11:
The diagram below shows a geologic timeline and information about two types of
organisms that formed fossils. Use the timeline to answer Question 5.
Question 12:
a. What is one observation that can be made by analyzing this timeline?
(1 point)
(Highlight this text and begin typing or hit ‘Delete’ to begin your response.)
b. What is an inference that can be made based on the observation that
you recorded in part (a) above? (1 point)
(Highlight this text and begin typing or hit ‘Delete’ to begin your response.)