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Chapter 4 Slow Changes on Earth
Sample Test
What causes soli types to be different from place to place?
a. Their color
b. The size of the rocks
c. The amount of oxygen in the air
d. The kind of rocks and humus
A side of a cliff breaks into smaller pieces through a process called
a. Erosion
b. Sedimentation
c. Deposition
d. Weathering
Which of the following is usually a slow process?
a. Beach erosion by a storm
b. A volcanic eruption
c. Weathering by freezing and thawing
d. A landside
The sediment along the side of a stream are examples of
a. Deposition
b. Weathering
c. Erosion
d. Byzantium
A student conducts multiple trials on different types of soils to see which type erodes fastest.
The soils were in pans each propped up at the same angle. She slowly poured water from a
watering can over the soil. She continued pouring until all of the soil had eroded away. Then
she averaged and recorded her findings in the chart below.
Soils
Soil Description
Sandy soil
Topsoil
Clay soil
Time to Erode
20 seconds
40 seconds
1 minute
Which of the following statements best describes her results?
a. Clay soil will erode the fastest.
b. Sandy soil will erode the fastest.
c. Topsoil will erode the slowest.
d. Sandy soil will erode the slowest.
6. A student completed an experiment only once. The results did not turn out as predicted. What
should she do next?
a. Do the experiment again.
b. Change her predication to fit the results.
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c. Throw her data table away.
d. Decide if it was a good experiment.
Which of the following is an example of chemical weathering?
a. Bits of sand striking rock surfaces
b. Freezing and thawing of rocks
c. Carbonic acid reacting with minerals in rocks
d. Roots growing in the cracks of rocks
Which of the following is the biggest cause of erosion?
a. Landslides
b. Flowing water
c. Wind
d. Weathering
What is the usual order by which a landform is changed?
a. Deposition, erosion, weathering
b. Weathering, deposition, and erosion
c. erosion, deposition, weathering
d. weathering, erosion, deposition
What happens during physical weathering? (Best Answer)
a. It snows
b. Rain freezes in the cracks of rocks
c. The size and shape of rocks are changed
d. The roots of plants widen cracks in rocks
Each of the following statements about physical and chemical weathering is true, except
a. Humus forms
b. Rocks get smaller
c. Mountains get smaller
d. Soil forms
Which landform is the result of deposition?
a. A delta
b. A canyon
c. A valley
d. A plain
Which of the following causes erosion?
a. Soil
b. Sunlight
c. Waves
d. Cracks in rocks
Which change to Earth’s surface can happen quickly?
a. A canyon forms
b. A valley forms
c. A beach erodes
d. A glacier forms
15. Waves can:
a. Weather a cliff
b. Erode a cliff
c. Both a and b
d. None of the above
16. Which causes gradual changes in statues exposed to acid rain?
a. Abrasion
b. Chemical weathering
c. Deposition
d. Physical weathering
17. When rivers reach flat land, they slow
a. Become wider, and flow straighter
b. Become narrower and develop curves
c. Become wider and develop curves
d. Become narrowed, and flow straighter
18. Soil consists of:
a. Weathered rock and mineral
b. Humus
c. Water
d. Water and air
e. Bacteria
f. All of the above
g. Only a and b
h. None of the above
19. Sand dunes are formed by particles of sand that are picked up by the wind and slowed by
objects below it such as grass or rocks. (True / False)
20. Physical weathering causes Earth’s rocks to break apart into smaller pieces. (true / false)
21. Erosion and weathering are processes that always change landforms slowly. (true / false)
22. Water, waves, and wind weather and erode Earth’s surface. (True / False)
23. A glacier leaves a V shaped valley behind like the ones in White River National Forest in
Colorado. (True / False)
24. On barrier islands, the side facing the coast erodes while the other side is built up by sand
washing ashore. (True / False)
25. Abrasion causes the outer layers of rocks to peel off like the layers of an onion. (True / False)
26. Humus in soil is formed from decaying organic material. (True / False)
27. Removal of plant life from the soil will increase its potential for erosion. (True / False)
28. Loggers remove all the trees in a section of the rainforest. You can expect the soil in the rain
forest will erode; fewer plants will grow, and fewer animals will live in the area (True / False)
29. Soil horizons are sometimes different from place to place (true / false)
30. Decaying plants and animals put carbon dioxide and acid into the soil. (true / false)
31. Oxygen causes rocks with iron to rust and break down. (true / false)
Below are three essay questions for the test. Students can complete the questions prior to the test
using their books or notes and bring the completed questions to class to be attached to the test.
Students can complete the questions during the test; HOWEVER, they will not be allowed to use notes
or book when answering the questions.
A. Gold was discovered on the banks of the American River near where the river flows into
Sacramento River. Explain how the gold got there from a perspective of weathering, erosion,
and deposition. Why was most of the gold found as flakes? Why were there only a few gold
nuggets?
B. A developed clears the land on a hillside and builds houses. You buy one of the houses. What
should you do to your yard to protect it from erosion? Why?
C. Heavy logging is being done in much of the world’s rainforest. What impact will this activity
have on the soil of the rainforest?