GED Science Earth and Space Science 5

Question 1

Which atmospheric gas has increased most significantly due to human industrial activity and is the primary driver of current climate change?

Accepted Answer

Carbon dioxide (CO₂)

Answer

Burning fossil fuels and deforestation have substantially raised atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, enhancing the greenhouse effect and driving global temperature increases.

Question 2

What term describes the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another, such as from air into water?

Accepted Answer

Refraction

Answer

Refraction occurs because light changes speed when it enters a new medium, causing it to bend at the interface — this is why a straw appears broken in a glass of water.

Question 3

The outer layer of Earth, consisting of the crust and uppermost mantle, is broken into moving pieces called:

Accepted Answer

Tectonic plates

Answer

Tectonic plates are rigid sections of Earth's lithosphere that move slowly over the semi-fluid asthenosphere, driving earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain formation.

Question 4

Which characteristic is used to measure the brightness of a star as seen from Earth?

Accepted Answer

Apparent magnitude

Answer

Apparent magnitude measures how bright a star appears from Earth, and it depends on both the star's actual brightness and its distance from us.

Question 5

What is the source of energy that drives Earth's weather and ocean circulation systems?

Accepted Answer

Energy radiated from the Sun

Answer

Solar radiation is the primary energy source driving atmospheric circulation, ocean currents, the water cycle, and most weather patterns on Earth.

GED Practice Test

GED Practice Test

GED Science Earth and Space Science 5