Question: Natural gas-fired power plants are considered greenhouse gas emitters because the burning of natural gas produces which of the following?
Answer Options:
• A. Hydrogen
• B. Radon
• C. Carbon dioxide
• D. Helium
Answer: C
Question: Which of the following tools is used to measure atmospheric pressure?
Answer Options:
• A. Barometer
• B. Thermometer
• C. Anemometer
• D. Hygrometer
Answer: A
Question: A solar eclipse is most likely to occur when
Answer Options:
• A. the Sun is located between Earth and the Moon
• B. the Moon is located between Earth and the Sun
• C. Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon
• D. Earth, the Sun, and the Moon form a right angle
Answer: B
Question: Which THREE of the following characteristics are commonly used to describe the weather at a particular time and place?
Answer Options:
• A. Average annual temperature
• B. Type of precipitation
• C. Wind speed
• D. Amount of cloudiness
Answer: B, C, D
Question: Fossils are typically found in which of the following types of rock?
Answer Options:
• A. Metamorphic
• B. Sedimentary
• C. Igneous
• D. Basalt
Answer: B
Question: Which TWO of the following are characteristics of a scientific theory?
Answer Options:
• A. It is based on evidence.
• B. It allows scientists to make predictions.
• C. It is the controversial opinion of an individual scientist.
• D. It is an untested guess about why something happened.
Answer: A, B
Question: Which TWO of the following are true statements about hurricanes?
Answer Options:
• A. They are typically over 160 kilometers, or 100 miles, in diameter.
• B. They form over cold water in Earth’s polar regions and move toward the equator.
• C. They develop quickly and usually last for less than 30 minutes.
• D. They can have sustained wind speeds that are over 200 kilometers, or 124 miles, per hour.
Answer: A, D
Question: Which THREE of the following are true statements about the water cycle?
Answer Options:
• A. Clouds are formed when water vapor in the air changes into liquid water.
• B. Rainfall results from a collision between two or more clouds in the atmosphere.
• C. Some of the rain that falls to Earth becomes groundwater.
• D. Some water returns to the atmosphere by evaporating through plant leaves.
Answer: A, C, D
Question: Why does the Sun appear to be brighter than other stars?
Answer Options:
• A. The Sun is the oldest star.
• B. The Sun is closer to Earth than are other stars.
• C. The Sun’s light reflects off the Moon.
• D. The Sun is the biggest star.
Answer: B
Question: Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a technique for extracting fossil fuels from rock formations deep below Earth’s surface. Which TWO of the following statements are true about hydraulic fracturing?
Answer Options:
• A. It provides access to a renewable energy resource.
• B. Its impact on the environment is not entirely understood.
• C. It is a controversial practice that is the focus of public policy debates.
• D. It is a cost-effective method for cleaning and replenishing groundwater.
Answer: B, C
Question: In general, which of the following can transport the largest particles?
Answer Options:
• A. Glacial ice as it advances
• B. Steadily flowing water in a stream
• C. The wind
• D. Ocean waves on a sandy beach
Answer: A
Question: Of the following, which is most likely to be composed primarily of ice?
Answer Options:
• A. An asteroid
• B. A red dwarf
• C. A comet
• D. The planet Mercury
Answer: C
Question: Which TWO of the following are most likely to increase as a result of a continued decline in Arctic sea ice?
Answer Options:
• A. The average air temperature of the Arctic
• B. The salinity of Arctic seawater
• C. The absorption of sunlight by the Arctic Ocean
• D. The availability of platforms from which polar bears in the Arctic can hunt
Answer: A, C