1. Earth Science-Environments
Scientific Question of the Day

2. Which of the following is a benefit of recycling?
A- reducing waste
B- increasing energy usage
C- decreasing use of post-consumer material
D- increasing destruction of resources

3. A is the correct answer
Recycling reduces waste because materials are turned into or are used as something new, rather than being thrown away.

4. What force pulls objects toward Earth?

5. Gravity is the force that pulls objects toward Earth.

6. Land forms are always changing
Land forms are always changing. Deposition is one process that changes land forms. What kind of force is deposition?
A- constructive
B- chemical
C- destructive
D- electrical

7. A is the correct answer
Deposition is a constructive force.

8. The land forms we see today e the result of what kinds of forces?
A- constructive forces only
B- destructive forces only
C- neither constructive nor destructive
D- both constructive and destructive

9. D is the correct answer
Constructive forces and destructive forces together shape the land forms we see today.

10. Which of these causes rock to be slowly broken down into soil?
Landslide
Weathering
Earthquake
Fossilization

11. B is the correct answer
Weathering is a process that slowly breaks down rock and turns it into soil.

12. What word describes all of the energy resources that were formed from the remains of plants and animal over millions of years?
A- oil
B- inexhaustible resources
C- solar energy
D- fossil fuels

13. D is the correct answer
Fossil fuels are all of the fuels that were formed over millions of years from the remains of plants and animals.

14. Which natural resource is formed from the remains of plants that died millions of years ago?
A- water
B- lumber
C- coal
D- soil

15. C is the correct answer
Coal is formed over millions of years from the remains of dead plants.

16. Soil is made up of different parts, or ingredients
Soil is made up of different parts, or ingredients. What part of soil is made up of decayed remains of plants and animals.
A- clay
B- sand
C- silt
D- humus

17. D is the correct answer
Humus is the decayed remains of plants and animals.

18. Beaches are often made of sand
Beaches are often made of sand. The sand is carried to the beach by waves, which drop the sand on the shore. What is the name of this process?
A- sediment
B- land form
C- deposition
D- abrasion

19. C is the correct answer
Deposition is the process by which sand and sediments are laid down by waves.

20. Ocean waves pick up sand and soil from the shore
Ocean waves pick up sand and soil from the shore. What is this process called?
A- chemical weathering
B- erosion
C- deposition
D- sediment

21. B is the correct answer
When ocean waves pick up materials, it is called erosion.

22. What type of energy causes the evaporation of water from lakes, oceans, and rivers?
A- mechanical energy
B- electrical energy
C- solar energy
D- potential energy

23. C is the correct answer
Solar energy causes the evaporation of water from Earth’s surface. Evaporation from Earth’s surface is an important part of the water cycle.

24. Some farmers leave dead crop plants in the field over the winter
Some farmers leave dead crop plants in the field over the winter. What does this prevent?
A- rock formation
B- soil erosion
C- nitrogen fixation
D- soil formation

25. B is the correct answer
A cover of dead plant materials helps prevent soil erosion.

26. Which of these is a renewable resource?
A- oil
B- coal
C- wood
D- natural gas

27. C is the correct answer
Wood is a resource that can be replaced in a relatively short period of time. It is a renewable resource.

28. Which part of the water cycle can take the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail?
A- transpiration
B- evaporation
C- condensation
D- precipitation

29. D is the correct answer
Precipitation is the process by which water returns to Earth’s surface. Rain, snow, sleet, and hail are all forms of precipitation.