Which statement represents a fact about the rock cycle?
A.
All the processes involved in the rock cycle occur beneath the surface of Earth.
B.
Fossils, skeletal remains, and living organisms do not play a role in the rock cycle.
C.
The rock cycle is driven by energy from the Sun as well as from the interior of Earth.
D.
Every transformation between states happens as a result of heat from magma.
E.
Nearly all rocks transition from one form to another on a human timescale.

Which of the following was not a geological clue used to support the theory of continental drift?

A.
Rocks of the same composition and age were found in Brazil and South Africa.
B.
Fossils of the reptile Lystrosaurus were found on the landmasses of Africa, India, and Antarctica.
C.
Fossils of the plant Glossopteris were found on the landmasses of South America, Africa, India, Antarctica, and Australia.
D.
Samples of ocean water tested off the coast of South America contained the same salt content as oceans near Africa.

How does the theory of plate tectonics support the theory of seafloor spreading?

A.
When a tectonic plate meets the ocean floor, it submerges beneath it, increasing the total seafloor.
B.
When two tectonic plates move toward each other, they converge to create a new ocean.
C.
When a tectonic plate moves parallel to another plate, it creates a gap between the plates, which is filled by the ocean.
D.
When two tectonic plates move in opposite directions, it causes magma to rise, creating a new seafloor.

Sonar stands for “sound navigation and ranging.” What assumption was proved wrong after the invention of sonar?

A.
The age of the ocean floor is variable.
B.
The ocean floor is featureless.
C.
The ocean floor is changing.
D.
The ocean floor is denser than continental crust.

At a _______
boundary, plates move away from each other as magma pushes them from below. When this change happens beneath the ocean floor, it results in
_________.

Phoebe removes frozen vegetables from the freezer to make herself a stir-fry. She’s in a bit of a hurry, so she immerses the plastic bag of vegetables in a pot of warm water. As a result, the vegetables thaw in less than 15 minutes. Which sentences accurately describe the heat transfer that has taken place?
- The plastic bag conducted heat to the vegetables.
- The water and vegetables both lost an equal amount of heat.
- Heat from the vegetables was transferred to the water.
- Atoms in the vegetables began vibrating faster.
- Water in contact with the plastic bag cooled down.

How does the magnetic field surrounding Earth benefit humankind?
A.
It prevents magma from seeping out of the crust.
B.
It steers aircraft away from radiation belts.
C.
It protects us from radioactive particles.
D.
It draws more oxygen into the atmosphere.

Camille and her friends enjoy experimenting with different foods. During a camping trip, they decide to fry bacon using nothing more than hot rocks. Camille heats a rock in the campfire for 30 minutes, and then removes it with tongs. She greases the rock and lays the bacon strips directly on it. The bacon turns out great, and the girls enjoy the food. Which two sentences accurately describe the girls’ experience with heat transfer?

- Heat was transferred from the fire to the rock.
- The girls cooked the bacon using convection currents.
- The bacon and the fire were in thermal equilibrium.
- The bacon lost energy to the rocks as they got warmer.
- The girls used conduction to cook the bacon.

Earth’s crust continuously melts and solidifies in the upper mantle. Why does oceanic crust solidify faster than continental crust?
A.
Continental crust spans a wider area and is generally thinner than oceanic crust.
B.
Magma beneath oceanic crust is a lower temperature than magma beneath continental crust.
C.
When magma comes into contact with ocean water it cools faster than when it reaches continental rock.
D.
Salt in ocean water accelerates the solidification process by way of chemical reaction.