Earth Science
CRCT Study Guide
CRCT Study Guide
Instructions: Use your science notes from your science binder to review the
following questions to prepare for the science CRCT. Please email or call Mr.
Seitz with any questions!
GRAVITY!
1. What is the definition of gravity?
2. What two factors affect the force of gravity?
3. As the mass of two objects decreases, what
happens to the strength of gravity between
them?
4. As the distance between two objects
decreases, what happens to the strength of
gravity between them?
5. How would the force of gravity between
Earth and the sun be affected if the mass of
Earth were less than it is?
a. The force of gravity would be
unchanged
b. The force of gravity would be
greater
c. The force of gravity would be less
d. There would be no force of gravity
ORBITS!
6. What two forces work together to create
orbits?
7. Gravity is an ATTRACTIVE or PULLING
force that acts on objects over a distance.
Draw this force below between the Earth
and the moon.
8. What force KEEPS planets in orbits? Hint:
It is not inertia!
9. What is the general shape of any orbit in
space? (Hint: It is not a circle!)
10. If the force of gravity between Earth and the
sun were much greater than the inertia of
Earth, what would happen to Earth?
a. Earth would escape into space
b. Earth would fall into the sun
c. Earth would remain in its orbit
around the sun
d. Earth would stop moving
The Big Bang Theory!
11. Describe the Big Bang theory in your own
words. Be sure to discuss the creation of the
universe, galaxies, and our solar system.
12. What force pulled gas, dust and rocks
together to form the various parts of our
solar system?
13. What is a nebula? What formed out of the
nebula according to the Big Bang theory?
Comets and Asteroids!
14. What is an asteroid?
15. Between what two planets is the asteroid
belt located?
16. What is a comet? Where are most comet’s
located?
17. In what direction does a comet’s tail always
face?
18. Draw a picture of a comet. Be sure to label
the nucleus, coma, head and tail for at least
one of the comets.
Meteoroids, Meteors, and Meteorite!
19. What is the name of chunks of rock and
metal that break off of asteroids and comets
IN SPACE?
20. When these chunks of rock and metal enter
the atmosphere, what are they called?
21. When these chunks of rock and metal hit
Earth’s surface, what do we call them?
22. Draw a meteoroid falling from space to
Earth’s surface. Label meteoroid, meteorite,
and meteor. Pay attention to where the
object is located and its specific name!
Rotation versus Revolution
23. What is the difference between rotation and
revolution?
24. How many hours does it take Earth to rotate
once on its axis? What do we call this (a
day, month, year, etc)?
25. In terms of revolution and rotation, what is a
year on Earth?
26. How long is a year on Earth?
27. What motion makes objects seem to move
through the sky?
28. If Earth’s revolution became slower and its
rotation became faster, what would happen
to the length of a day and the length of a
year on Earth?
Moon Phases
29. What causes the phases of the moon?
30. How long does it take the moon to revolve
once around the Earth?
31. In the space below, draw all 8 major moon
phases (as seen from Earth) and label them.
32. Which phase would the moon be in if the
Earth, moon, and sun were in the below
arrangement?
33. Which phase would the moon be in if the
Earth, moon, and sun were in the below
arrangement?
Solar and Lunar Eclipses
34. Draw a solar eclipse. Be sure to draw and
label the Earth, moon, sun, umbra, and
penumbra. Place an “X” on Earth where
someone would experience a total solar
eclipse. Place an “O” on Earth where
someone would experience a partial solar
eclipse.
35. Draw a total lunar eclipse. Be sure to draw
and label the Earth, moon, sun, umbra, and
penumbra.
36. What phase must the moon be in to allow
for a solar eclipse?
Seasons on Earth
37. What causes the seasons on Earth?
38. Draw Earth on its axis. Be sure to label the
axis, equator, Northern Hemisphere, and
Southern Hemisphere.
39. How many degrees is Earth titled on its
axis?
40. Why is it hotter during the summer
compared to the winter? Note: it is not
because the Earth is closer to the sun during
the summer!
41. How much time does it take for one season
to pass?
42. If it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere,
what season is it in the Southern
Hemisphere?
43. Draw and label a picture of the Earth and
sun when it is summer in the Northern
Hemisphere. Be sure to label the axis,
equator, and Northern and Southern
hemisphere.
Standard S6E3a
44. How much of Earth’s surface is covered by
water?
45. Draw a pie chart to show how much of
Earth’s total water is fresh water versus salt
water. Label each section and include
percentages.
46. Draw a pie chart to show how much of
Earth’s FRESH WATER is ice,
groundwater, water vapor, and
rivers/lakes/streams. Label each section and
include percentages.
47. What is a glacier?
48. List the following in order from the largest
amount to the smallest amount on Earth:
solid fresh water, liquid fresh water, salt
water.
49. Why is more than half of Earth’s FRESH
WATER difficult for humans to use?
Learning Goal S6E3c
50. Does ocean water contain just water?
Explain.
51. Which continents border the Atlantic
Ocean?
52. Which continents border the Pacific Ocean?
53. Which continents border the Indian Ocean?
54. What are the three largest oceans, listed in
order from LARGEST to SMALLEST?
55. What do fish take in from ocean water that
is necessary for them to survive?
56. What is salinity?
57. What is the salinity of ocean water?
58. Draw a model of each of the 10 ocean
features we learned about in class. Then,
describe each feature using your class notes.
59. Which of the above ocean floor features
represents the islands of Hawaii?
60. What ocean floor feature comes right after
the continental shelf?
61. What is the speed of sound in water?
62. Pings from an echo sounder aboard a ship
make a round trip in 14 seconds. How far
beneath the ship is the ocean floor?
63. Draw a wave and label the wave height,
crest, trough, and wavelength.
64. If wind is blowing faster, what will happen to
the size of a wave? Be specific!
65. If wind blows over a larger area, what will
happen to the size of a wave? Be specific!
66. What is a tsunami?
67. Describe the cause of waves, surface currents,
deep currents, and tides.
68. If the first high tide of a day occurs at
5:00am, approximately when will the next
high tide come?
69. Which is more dense, salty water or water
without salt?
70. If Solution A has a density of 60g/ml and
Solution B has a density of 35g/ml, which
solution will float on top of the other?
71. Pretend you mix 30 grams of salt into 100
milliliters of water (Solution A). Then you
mix 10 grams of salt into 100 milliliters of
water (Solution B). Imagine you are a
scientist trying to answer the following
research question: If you add Solution A on
top of Solution B, how will the two
solutions move?
a. Create a hypothesis for this
experiment (remember, it must be
an “if… then…” statement!):
The Water Cycle
72.
In your own words, describe evaporation,
condensation, and precipitation.
73.
Why does water evaporate? Think about
energy and heat!
74.
Draw the complete water cycle. Be sure to
label evaporation, condensation, and
precipitation. Also, use arrows between each
step to show the direction that water travels
through the cycle. Also draw the main
source of energy that drives the water cycle.
75.
Which water cycle stage is most likely
occurring on the following days:
a. On a sunny, clear day:
________________________
b. On a very cloudy day:
________________________
c. On a rainy day:
________________________
76.
In which layer of the atmosphere does
weather occur?
Energy Transfers
77.
What does a thermometer measure, and
HOW does it work?
78.
What does temperature measure? This is
not just if something is “hot” or “cold!”
79.
In the chart below, define each type of
energy transfer and provide a drawing:
Type of
Definition
Drawing
Energy
Transfer
Radiation
Conduction
Convection
80. Which type of energy transfer occurs
because of density differences, as in the
atmosphere?
Air Pressure
81. Complete the following chart:
Temperature of
Cold Air
Hot Air
Air:
Drawing:
Density (high or
low?)
Air pressure (high
or low?)
82. Why do cold air molecules that are being
heated up by radiation want to rise up in the
atmosphere?
83. What is wind, and what is it caused by?
84. Does land or water absorb heat faster?
Which one loses heat faster?
85. In the morning when the sun starts to shine,
would you expect the land or the water to be
warmer?
86. Complete the following chart by drawing a
sea and land breeze.
Drawing (be sure to label
Type of
cold/warm land and air, high/low
Local
pressure, and arrows to show wind
Wind
movement)
Sea
Breeze
Land
Breeze
87. At one beach, the land temperature is 80 °F
and the sea temperature is 78 °F. Would you
expect a land or sea breeze to take place in
this scenario?
88.
How does temperature depend on
latitude? (Where is it warmest on Earth, and
where is it coolest?)
89.
In the space below, draw a Venn Diagram
to compare weather and climate.
90.
What is the relationship between altitude
and temperature?
91. How is air pressure related to wind?
92. How does the unequal heating of Earth’s
surface cause winds?
93. Why do global winds curve? What is the
vocabulary word we use to describe this?
94. In what direction does Earth rotate?
95. Draw a model of Earth, and draw the major
lines of latitude, the 3 major wind belts, and
the 2 calm areas (doldrums and horse
latitudes).
96. What is a front? How are a cold and a warm
front different?
97. Describe how a thunderstorm forms.
98. What type of weather occurs along a
warm/cold front?
99. What is required for a tornado to form, and
how fast can the winds of a tornado travel?
100. Where do tropical cyclones get their energy?
101. What is the difference between the
following two types of tropical cyclones:
hurricanes and typhoons?
102. What is required for a hurricane to form?
103. Draw a picture of a hurricane as if you were
looking at the eye horizontally. Then
describe the conditions within the eye of the
storm.
104. How fast must winds be moving for a storm
to be called a tropical cyclone?
105. If a hurricane travels at an average speed of
33 km/h, how long will it take it to cross 264
kilometers of ocean?
108. Describe if each of the following layers is
solid or liquid, explain what elements make
up each layer, and list the temperature and
density of each layer (crust, mantle, outer
core, inner core).
109. As depth increases in Earth, what happens to
temperature, pressure, and density?
110. What is the thickest and thinnest layer of
Earth?
111. In which layer of Earth are diamonds
formed? Which layer contains oil?
112. Where is the Moho Boundary?
118. Explain what occurs at each of the following
plate boundaries, and describe what land
features can occur at each boundary:
119. Describe subducting. Which type of
lithospheric plates can subduct under other
plates? Why?
120. What occurs during sea floor spreading, and
what features are created on the ocean floor
during sea floor spreading?
121. As you get closer to a rift valley, how does
the age of the rocks change?
125. Describe how each of the three main types
of rocks are formed (sedimentary, igneous,
and metamorphic). Also provide 3 examples
of each type of rock.
126. What is the difference between extrusive
and intrusive igneous rocks? Describe if
they cool from lava or magma, if they cool
quickly or slowly, and if they have large or
small crystals/minerals.
127. What is the difference between weathering
and erosion?
128. What are sand dunes, and how are they
produced?
129. What are landlsides, and how are they
produced?
130. What is the shape of valleys that are formed
from rivers? What about glaciers?
131. What is the difference between mechanical
and chemical weathering? Provide at least 2
examples of each type of weathering.
132. How are fossils formed?
133. If there are many fossils in a sedimentary
rock, how can you tell which fossil is older
than the other (the relative age of the
fossils)?
134. Fossils can show evidence of Earth’s
changing surface and climate. Provide an
106. What layers of the Earth make up the
lithosphere?
107. What are two types of lithospheric plates?
How are they different?
113. If the temperature of the Earth's layers
increases by about 90 degrees Fahrenheit for
every 1 mile from the surface and you are
estimating the temperature of a point in the
mantle 45 miles below the surface, how hot
would the mantle be at that depth?
114. In the space below, describe a convection
current in the Earth’s mantle. Be sure to
EXPLAIN when the molten mantle material
is warm, cold, more dense, and less dense.
115. What is the theory of continental drift?
116. What was Alfred Wegener’s hypothesis?
117. What causes lithospheric plates to move?
convergent (colliding), convergent
(subducting), divergent, and transform.
122. What is the Ring of Fire, and what often
occurs around the ring of fire? Why?
123. What are the 5 characteristics of a mineral?
Be sure you know what each characteristic
means.
124. How do scientists classify rocks? (Think
about how scientists classify the three main
types of rocks!)
example of an interesting fossil that shows
how Earth’s surface or climate has changed.
135. What are the steps for the development of
soil?
136. What are the first organisms to grow in new
soil?
137. From top to bottom, what are the horizons of
soil?
138. What is found in each horizon of soil?
139. What is organic material? What do we call
organic material after it has decayed?
140. Why does topsoil have a lot of nutrients in
it? Where do these nutrients come from?