Picat General Science 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the outermost solid layer of the Earth called?
- Mantle
- Crust (Correct answer)
- Outer core
- Inner core
Correct answer: Crust
The crust is Earth's thin, solid outermost layer, divided into oceanic and continental types.
Question 2: Which planet in our solar system is closest to the Sun?
- Venus
- Earth
- Mars
- Mercury (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Mercury
Mercury is the innermost planet and orbits the Sun at an average distance of about 36 million miles.
Question 3: What is the primary cause of Earth's seasons?
- Earth's varying distance from the Sun
- The tilt of Earth's axis (Correct answer)
- Changes in the Sun's energy output
- The Moon's gravitational pull
Correct answer: The tilt of Earth's axis
Earth's 23.5° axial tilt causes different hemispheres to receive more direct sunlight at different times of year, creating seasons.
Question 4: What type of rock is formed when magma cools and solidifies?
- Sedimentary
- Metamorphic
- Igneous (Correct answer)
- Limestone
Correct answer: Igneous
Igneous rock forms from the cooling and crystallization of molten rock (magma or lava).
Question 5: What is the term for the point on Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake?
- Fault line
- Seismic zone
- Epicenter (Correct answer)
- Hypocenter
Correct answer: Epicenter
The epicenter is the surface point directly above where seismic energy is released underground (the focus).
Question 6: Approximately how long does it take Earth to complete one full orbit around the Sun?
- 24 hours
- 28 days
- 365.25 days (Correct answer)
- 400 days
Correct answer: 365.25 days
Earth's orbital period is approximately 365.25 days, which is why a leap day is added every four years.
Question 7: What phenomenon causes ocean tides on Earth?
- Earth's rotation speed
- Solar wind pressure
- Gravitational pull of the Moon (Correct answer)
- Atmospheric pressure changes
Correct answer: Gravitational pull of the Moon
The Moon's gravitational force pulls on Earth's oceans, creating bulges that produce high tides on the side facing the Moon and the opposite side.
Picat General Science 4
What is the outermost solid layer of the Earth called?