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weathering

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 1. 

Mechanical weathering happens faster in a ____ climate.
a.
dry
c.
cold
b.
hot
d.
humid
 

 2. 

Mechanical weathering ____.
a.
breaks apart rocks by physical processes
b.
occurs when chemical reactions dissolve or change the minerals in rocks
c.
occurs when iron is exposed to oxygen and water
d.
none of the above
 

 3. 

When Joe saw the Rocky Mountains for the first time, he said, “These mountains are much younger than the mountains in North Georgia.”  How could he know this?
a.
their sedimentary layers are still exposed
c.
they are taller so they are actually older
b.
the Rocky Mountains have tall rugged tops from long-term weathering
d.
the North Georgia Mountains have rounded tops from long-term weathering
 

 4. 

What landform is created when two continental plates collide?
a.
mountains
c.
volcano
b.
ocean basin
d.
canyon
 

 5. 

Which theory best explains the change in the position of the continents during the history of Earth?
a.
natural selection
c.
plate tectonics
b.
continental drift
d.
the rock cycle
 

 6. 

The major process that wears down whole mountain ranges is
a.
earthquakes
c.
plate movement
b.
weathering
d.
silt deposition
 

 7. 

A boundary where two tectonic plates come together, or collide, is called a
a.
divergent boundary
c.
transform boundary
b.
convergent boundary
d.
transfer boundary
 

 8. 

Ice wedging is caused by ____.
a.
carbonic acid freezing on rocks
c.
water freezing and thawing
b.
water and oxygen reacting
d.
rocks colliding with each other
 

 9. 

The rock, mineral fragments, and sediment in soil comes from rock that has been ____.
a.
blasted
c.
weathered
b.
carved
d.
chemically treated
 

 10. 

In cold climates rocks are broken into pieces by the action of water.  This process that breaks down rocks and helps form soil can best be explained by
a.
leaching of minerals from the rock
c.
chemical weathering due to water and oxidation
b.
decomposition due to the action of ice crystals
d.
mechanical weathering due to freezing and thawing
 

 11. 

The crustal plates of Earth move due to being dragged along by
a.
convection currents in the mantle
c.
the rotation of the inner core
b.
the rotation of Earth on its axis
d.
the prevailing winds
 

 12. 

Which of these usually causes mechanical weathering but some also cause chemical weathering?
a.
animals burrowing
c.
oxidation
b.
plants
d.
carbonic acid
 

 13. 

Oxidation occurs when materials containing ____ are exposed to oxygen and water and rusts.
a.
iron
c.
kaolinite
b.
carbonic acid
d.
all of the above
 

 14. 

mc014-1.jpg
Over time this rocky cliff will become many smaller rocks and eventually become sand.  This process is
a.
erosion
c.
weathering
b.
deposition
d.
uniformitarianism
 

 15. 

Chemical weathering of rocks occurs and helps to form soils.  Which of the following is an agent of chemical weathering?
a.
freezing and thawing
c.
rocks sliding down the side of a mountain
b.
tree roots growing through rocks
d.
carbonic acid
 

 16. 

Chemical weathering happens faster in a ____ climate.
a.
warm, dry
c.
cold, dry
b.
warm, wet
d.
cold, wet
 

 17. 

When rocks undergo weathering, they become
a.
magma
c.
sediment
b.
igneous rocks
d.
volcanic cones
 

 18. 

When water mixes with carbon dioxide gas in the air or soil, ____ forms.
a.
carbonic acid
c.
calcite
b.
lactic acid
d.
oxygen
 

 19. 

Chemical weathering ____.
a.
is caused by freezing and thawing
b.
breaks apart rocks by physical processes
c.
occurs when chemical reactions dissolve or change the minerals in rocks
d.
none of above
 

 20. 

All of the following cause mechanical weathering EXCEPT ____.
a.
ice
c.
burrowing animals
b.
tree roots
d.
carbonic acid
 



 
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