Answers MO-Earth and Space Science ACycles of Matter

Cycles of Matter — Unit test Answers

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Study the timeline.

5 million years

200 million years

1.5 billion years

4.5 billion years

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Which phrase describes one main feature of the atmosphere?

protects Earth’s surface

includes organisms in the air, on land, and in water

consists of rocks, minerals, landforms, and Earth’s interior

comprises oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater

Which is an example of a trace fossil?

animal burrow

skin of organism

preserved bone

petrified wood

Which method preserves an image of a leaf?

The leaf turns into rock over time.

Tree sap flows over the leaf and preserves it.

Sediment covers the leaf and leaves an imprint on the rock.

As the leaf decomposes, carbon from the leaf is left on the rock.

The image shows sedimentary rock layers.

Which statement describes the law of superposition?

Sedimentary rocks were originally in horizontal layers.

In horizontal rock layers, each layer is younger than the one below it.

Rock layers must be in existence before something can happen to them.

Rocks that are not in horizontal layers were shifted by some geologic event.

Which event is most likely if an index fossil is found in a layer at location 1, but the layer and index fossil are not found at location 2 nearby, which is known to be the same relative age?

The layer at location 2 is too old to contain fossils.

The locations were too close together.

The organism did not exist at location 2.

The layers at location 2 formed much earlier than those at location 1.

Which statement describes potassium-argon dating?

Potassium-40 decays into argon gas over time.

Argon breaks down into other elements and compounds.

Potassium-40 becomes stable when trapped in rocks.

Argon is unstable and will decay into potassium-40 over time.

Which phrase describes faults?

cause gaps in the geologic record

cause rocks to break and move

are older than surrounding rocks

are igneous rocks that form beneath Earth’s surface

Sydney drew a flow chart to illustrate the nitrogen cycle.

X: Producers undergo photosynthesis.Y: Nitrogen compounds are released into the air.

X: Nitrogen compounds are released into the air.Y: Producers undergo photosynthesis.

X: Free nitrogen is in the atmosphere.Y: Producers absorb nitrogen compounds through their roots.

X: Producers absorb nitrogen compounds through their roots.Y: Free nitrogen is in the atmosphere.

What determines the length of a geologic time period?

fossil record

material density

meteors and rocks

radioactive materials

Which important event in Earth’s history occurred during the Jurassic period?

The first birds emerged on Earth.

Mammals were in search of food.

Animals with shells emerged on Earth

Treelike ferns first began to grow and populate.

The image shows locations of fossils from different geologic periods in Virginia.Which association correctly links the time period with the location of the fossils?