PAX PAX Earth Science 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What instrument is used to measure atmospheric pressure?
- Thermometer
- Hygrometer
- Barometer (Correct answer)
- Anemometer
Correct answer: Barometer
A barometer measures atmospheric air pressure; falling pressure often signals an approaching storm.
Question 2: The Richter scale is used to measure the:
- Intensity of hurricanes
- Magnitude of earthquakes (Correct answer)
- Depth of ocean trenches
- Speed of tectonic movement
Correct answer: Magnitude of earthquakes
The Richter scale quantifies the energy released by an earthquake; each whole-number increase represents about 32 times more energy.
Question 3: Which mineral ranks 10 (hardest) on the Mohs hardness scale?
- Quartz
- Topaz
- Corundum
- Diamond (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Diamond
Diamond is the hardest natural substance, ranking 10 on the Mohs scale and can only be scratched by another diamond.
Question 4: What type of rock forms when existing rocks are transformed by heat and pressure without melting?
- Igneous
- Sedimentary
- Metamorphic (Correct answer)
- Volcanic
Correct answer: Metamorphic
Metamorphic rocks form when pre-existing rocks undergo physical or chemical changes due to intense heat and/or pressure deep within the crust.
Question 5: What is the primary cause of seasons on Earth?
- Earth's varying distance from the Sun
- The tilt of Earth's axis (Correct answer)
- Changes in the Sun's energy output
- The rotation speed of Earth
Correct answer: The tilt of Earth's axis
Earth's axial tilt of approximately 23.5° causes different hemispheres to receive more or less direct sunlight at different times of year, producing seasons.
Question 6: What does the greenhouse effect describe?
- Farming techniques used in glass greenhouses
- The reflection of sunlight off polar ice caps
- The trapping of heat in Earth's atmosphere by gases (Correct answer)
- The formation of high-altitude clouds
Correct answer: The trapping of heat in Earth's atmosphere by gases
The greenhouse effect occurs when atmospheric gases such as CO₂ and water vapor absorb and re-emit infrared radiation, warming Earth's surface.
Question 7: What is the term for a plate boundary where two plates slide horizontally past each other?
- Convergent boundary
- Divergent boundary
- Transform boundary (Correct answer)
- Subduction zone
Correct answer: Transform boundary
A transform boundary occurs where two plates slide laterally past each other; the San Andreas Fault in California is a well-known example.
PAX PAX Earth Science 2
What instrument is used to measure atmospheric pressure?