Name __________________________________________ I.D.

Number __________________________

Unit 5 Evaluation
Evaluation 05
Earth Science (SCIH 041 055)
This evaluation will cover the lessons in this unit. It is open book, meaning you can use your
textbook and other course materials. You will need to understand, analyze, and apply the
information you have learned in order to answer the questions correctly. To submit the evaluation by
mail, follow the directions on the Information Sheet that came with your mail processing materials.
To take the evaluation online, access the online version of your course and follow the directions
provided.
Select the response that best completes the statement or answers the question.

____ 1. Which correctly orders units of geologic time, from most general to most specific?
a. eon, era, period, epoch
b. era, epoch, eon, period
c. period, era, eon, epoch
d. epoch, eon, period, era

____ 2. Why are fossils of organisms from the Phanerozoic Eon much more likely to be found than
fossils of organisms from any other eon?
a. More organisms present during the Phanerozoic Eon had soft body parts.
b. Organisms present during the Phanerozoic Eon were all microscopic.
c. More organisms present during the Phanerozoic Eon had hard shells and other hard body
parts.
d. Organisms present during the Phanerozoic Eon are the most ancient life forms on Earth.

____ 3. You can tell that the oldest rocks are at the bottom of an undisturbed rock sequence by
using the principle of
a. uniformitarianism.
b. superposition.
c. inclusions.
d. cross-cutting relationships.

____ 4. A(n) ____________________ contains distinctive material that geologists can easily
recognize in the rock record and use as a time marker.
a. conformity
b. key bed
c. superposition
d. cross-cutting relationship

Unit 5 Evaluation SCIH 041

____ 5. The relative age of a rock layer that contains inclusions is
a. older than the source of the inclusions.
b. older than the layer below it.
c. younger than the source of the inclusions.
d. the same as the intrusion that cuts across it.

____ 6. Radiocarbon dating can be used to determine the age of what type of materials?
a. igneous rock
b. living organisms
c. organic materials
d. lava flows

____ 7. Radiometric dating using Uranium-238 or Rubidium-87 can be used to find the absolute age
of
a. sedimentary rock.
b. igneous rock.
c. insects encased in amber.
d. varves.

____ 8. The emission of radioactive particles by isotopes as they change into other elements over
time is known as
a. radioactive decay.
b. relative-age dating.
c. ice core dating.
d. dendrochronology.

____ 9. What are the remains of plants or animals used to correlate rock layers over large
geographic areas or to date a particular rock layer called?
a. trilobites
b. dendrochronology
c. unconformities
d. index fossils

____ 10. The adaptation of life-forms to environmental changes is known as

a. fossilization.
b. evolution.
c. dendrochronology.
d. recrystallization.

Unit 5 Evaluation SCIH 041

____ 11. An example of a trace fossil includes a
a. cast of a clam.
b. worm trail.
c. mud crack.
d. raindrop impression.

____ 12. Some of the rarest fossils, such as those retrieved from the La Brea Tar Pit in California
are those formed through a process called
a. original preservation.
b. mineral replacement.
c. recrystallization.
d. mold and cast.

____ 13. The process of filling in pore spaces with mineral substances to create a fossil is called
a. original preservation.
b. mineral replacement.
c. recrystallization.
d. fossil correlation.

____ 14. Which group consists only of renewable resources?

a. carbon, sunlight, water, aluminum
b. coal, trees, water, carbon
c. phosphorus, soil, water, oxygen
d. natural gas, peat, coal, oil

____ 15. Which group consists of only nonrenewable resources?

a. carbon, phosphorus, water, soil
b. gold, copper, nitrogen, fossil fuels
c. coal, trees, oil, oxygen
d. diamonds, bauxite, natural gas, oil

____ 16. A process of management called ____________________ ensures the replacement of

renewable resources at the same rate they are consumed.
a. desalination
b. natural resources
c. sustainable yield
d. desertification

Unit 5 Evaluation SCIH 041

____ 17. The mixture of gravel, sand, and crushed stone called _____________ is an extremely
useful construction material.
a. aggregate
b. bedrock
c. ore
d. topsoil

____ 18. Which statement best describes the relationship between desertification and crop
production?
a. Desertification increases the amount of crops produced.
b. Desertification does not impact crop production.
c. Desertification increases the speed of crop production.
d. Desertification decreases the amount of crop produced.

____ 19. What are the most important sources of metallic ore deposits such as copper and gold?
a. hydrothermal veins
b. placer deposits
c. aggregates
d. chemical precipitates

____ 20. The largest component of air is

a. oxygen.
b. nitrogen.
c. carbon dioxide.
d. hydrogen.

____ 21. Which of the following adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?
a. respiration
b. volcanic eruptions
c. forest fires
d. decay of Uranium-238

____ 22. Fossil fuel deposits and the Earth’s oceans are two places in which
a. carbon is stored.
b. oxygen is produced.
c. nitrogen is fixed.
d. sulfur dioxide is generated.

Unit 5 Evaluation SCIH 041

____ 23. About 69% of the world's freshwater each year is used for
a. industrial processes.
b. household use.
c. power-plant cooling.
d. irrigation.

____ 24. Which of the following statement is NOT true of water?

a. Bodies of water freeze from the top down.
b. Water expands as it freezes, unlike most liquids.
c. Aquifers are built to manage water resources.
d. About 71% of Earth's surface is covered by water.

____ 25. How does desalination make freshwater out of salt water?
a. by precipitating the salt from the water and skimming off the salt
b. by heating the water until it evaporates, leaving the salts behind
c. by pressurizing the water and filtering the salt out at high pressure
d. by using solar energy to pump freshwater from the ocean bottom

____ 26. Which of the following is NOT a biomass fuel?

a. coal
b. wood
c. peat
d. field crops

____ 27. Which of the following is NOT a fossil fuel?

a. petroleum
b. natural gas
c. coal
d. peat

____ 28. A fine-grained rock that contains a solid, waxy mixture of hydrocarbon compounds called
kerogen that can be processed to extract oil is
a. petroleum.
b. coal.
c. oil shale.
d. tar sands.

Unit 5 Evaluation SCIH 041

____ 29. Most of the electricity-generating plants in the United States burn which type of coal?
a. lignite
b. bituminous
c. anthracite
d. petroleum

____ 30. At the present rate of consumption, how long do some scientists estimate that the supply of
oil and natural gas on Earth will last?
a. 20 years
b. 50 years
c. 100 years
d. 1,000 years

____ 31. Which type of alternative energy source traps thermal energy through windows and
building materials with heat-storing capacities?
a. passive solar heating
b. active solar heating
c. photovoltaic cells
d. geothermal heating

____ 32. Burned in gasoline engines, ____________________ fuel is produced by fermenting crops
such as wheat or corn.
a. oil shale
b. biodiesel
c. photovoltaic
d. ethanol

____ 33. Manufactured from vegetable oil or animal fat, ____________________ is safe and
biodegradable.
a. flex fuel
b. ethanol
c. biodiesel
d. peat

Unit 5 Evaluation SCIH 041

____ 34. Which of the following supplies water and recreation as well as energy, but can also affect
river flow?
a. geothermal energy
b. hydroelectric power
c. nuclear energy
d. wind power

____ 35. _______________ is renewable, has been in use for almost 2000 years, and could supply
more than 30 percent of the world's electricity by 2050.
a. Tidal power
b. Nuclear power
c. Hydroelectric power
d. Wind power

____ 36. ________________ currently produces only 11 percent of the world's electricity and has
become increasingly less popular due to rising costs, poor design, and concerns about
waste products.
a. Coal
b. Fossil fuels
c. Nuclear energy
d. Geothermal energy

____ 37. The global management of Earth's natural resources to meet current and future energy
needs is
a. sustainable energy.
b. cogeneration.
c. energy efficiency.
d. alternative energy.

____ 38. Density-dependent factors include all of the following EXCEPT

a. forest fires.
b. disease.
c. lack of food.
d. lack of water.

Unit 5 Evaluation SCIH 041

____ 39. Density-independent factors include
a. forest fires.
b. lack of water.
c. food availability.
d. housing shortages.

____ 40. The number of organisms any given environment can support is its
a. exponential state.
b. limiting factor.
c. equilibrium.
d. carrying capacity.

____ 41. One disadvantage of surface mining is that it

a. does not provide iron or copper.
b. disrupts the subsurface through tunneling.
c. requires the building of holding ponds.
d. completely changes the landscape.

____ 42. ___________ uses organisms to clean up toxic wastes at industrial sites.
a. Deforestation
b. Bioremediation
c. Subsurface mining
d. Reclamation

____ 43. In the U.S., a federal law requires mining companies to carry out _______________, which
is the process of restoring the land and vegetation to its original state after mining.
a. remediation
b. equilibrium
c. restoration
d. reclamation

____44. As a result of urban development, land becomes covered with cement and asphalt, which
can result in
a. increased flooding.
b. pollution of the air.
c. increased groundwater recharge.
d. increased biodiversity.

Unit 5 Evaluation SCIH 041

____45. Scientists think our current global warming trend is partly the result of an increased
concentration of greenhouse gases, especially
a. hydrogen.
b. ozone.
c. carbon dioxide.
d. oxygen.

____ 46. What forms when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from sources such as power plants
and motor vehicles combine with moisture in the atmosphere?
a. point source pollution
b. ozone
c. acid precipitation
d. greenhouse gas

____ 47. ____________ protects Earth from the Sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation.
a. The ozone layer
b. Acid precipitation
c. Greenhouse gas
d. Photochemical smog

____ 48. Sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-burning power plants combines with atmospheric
moisture to form
a. ozone.
b. acid precipitation.
c. CFCs.
d. nitrogen dioxide.

____ 49. Which of the following is NOT an example of point source pollution?
a. discharge from a sewage treatment plant
b. leaking chemical barrels at an industrial site
c. leaking underground gasoline storage tank
d. runoff from agricultural fields

____ 50. The primary federal law that protects U.S. waters from pollution is the
a. Safe Drinking Water Act.
b. Endangered Species Act.
c. Clean Water Act.
d. Clear Water Amendment.

Unit 5 Evaluation SCIH 041

Carefully check your answers on this evaluation and make any corrections you feel are
necessary. When you are satisfied that you have answered the questions to the best of your
ability, transfer your answers to an answer sheet.

Unit 5 Evaluation SCIH 041