Multiple Choice: Choose the single best answer.
1. Which of the following is a meteorologist most likely to study? a. mountain formations b. marine life c. rainfall trends d. meteorites
2. The relationship between plants and animals in a lake would most likely be studied by a. a meteorologist c. an oceanographer b. an ecologist d. a geologist
3. Which of the following would an astronomer be most likely to study? a. a comet’s path through the solar system b. the height of tides during a full moon c. an-iridium-laden rock layer produced by meteorites d. the amount of solar energy absorbed by a tree
4. By understanding how natural forces affect the environment, Earth scientists can a. better predict natural disasters c. change human nature b. prevent natural disasters d. change the course of history
5. An idea that has been tested repeatedly and gains acceptance is called a a. hypothesis c. theory b. law d. controlled experiment
6. Earth scientists help us to better understand the world around us by studying how a. animals interact with humans b. natural forces shape our environment c. war impacts society d. genealogy and astrology impact society
7. Which of the following is an important means of gathering information? a. stating the problem c. forming a hypothesis b. making a measurement d. stating a conclusion
8. Earth scientists assume that the causes of natural events or phenomena can be determined by a. careful observation and experimentation b. risking human life c. using SI units d. formulating incorrect theories

9. Which of the following statements explains how science impacts society? a. Science does not affect society as much as people think. b. Science creates new technology without creating any problems. c. Science creates new technology that benefits society but may also create problems. d. Science does not help us to understand the world.
10. According to the law of gravitation, the force between two objects depends on the masses of the objects and the a. distance between them b. composition of each object c. size of each object d. magnetic field of each object
11. The lower boundary of Earth’s crust is called the a. oceanic crust c. Moho b. mantle d. magnetic pole
12. Which of the following elements is NOT involved in the cycling of energy and matter on Earth? a. phosphorus b. nitrogen c. gold d. carbon
13. The largest ecosystem on Earth is the a. continents b. atmosphere c. oceans d. biosphere
14. In general, how do ecosystems react to change? a. They restore balance b. They become disrupted c. They collapse d. They become smaller
15. A community of organisms and their abiotic environment is called a(n)? a. biosphere b. ecosystem c. ecology d. hydrosphere
16. The carrying capacity of an ecosystem is a. the time it takes to complete a cycle in the ecosystem b. the number of organisms that are active in an ecosystem c. the largest population that an ecosystem can support at one time a. magnetism b. weight d. the natural resources available at one time in an ecosystem
17. The force of attraction that exists among all matter in the universe is called c. the magnetosphere d. gravity
18. Because Earth’s interior is warmer than its surface layers, hot materials move toward the surface in a process called a. energy balancing b. convection c. energy transfer d. rotation

19. Approximately 70% of Earth’s surface is covered by the a. Continental crust b. Moho c. mantle d. global ocean
20. What are the four main branches of Earth science? a. chemistry, physics, biology, zoology b. geography, astrology, phrenology, psychology c. geology, oceanography, astronomy, meteorology d. sophistry, philosophy, anthropology, neurology
Two closely related populations of butterflies inhabit the same forest community. One population is light colored and the other is dark colored. Biologists suspect that the color of the butterflies somehow determines their population sizes. He concludes that the light color butterflies are more easily preyed upon by birds because they stand out against the dark tree trunks. To test his conclusions, he marks an equal number of dark and light colored butterflies, releases them, and later traps the survivors. When he counts the trapped butterflies, he finds more dark colored ones than light colored ones.
21. That both dark colored and light colored butterflies are found is a(n) a. fact c. interpretation b. hypothesis d. conclusion
22. The biologists idea that color influences the size of the butterfly population is a(n) a. observation c. hypothesis b. fact d. conclusion
23. The marking, trapping, and counting of butterflies is a(n) a. experiment c. hypothesis b. theory d. variable
24. The numbers of each color of butterfly he counts are a. hypotheses b. interpretations c. data d. experiments
25. The results of counting the trapped butterflies a. proved his conclusion about color b. did not support his conclusion about color c. supported his conclusion about color d. showed no relationship between color and the population size of butterflies