Stanford Achievement Test Stanford Achievement Environment and Earth Science 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What type of rock is formed from cooled magma or lava?
- Sedimentary
- Metamorphic
- Igneous (Correct answer)
- Fossilized
Correct answer: Igneous
Igneous rock forms when magma (underground) or lava (above ground) cools and solidifies.
Question 2: What is the main cause of seasons on Earth?
- Earth's distance from the sun
- Earth's tilted axis as it orbits the sun (Correct answer)
- The rotation of the moon
- Sunspots on the sun's surface
Correct answer: Earth's tilted axis as it orbits the sun
Earth's seasons are caused by its tilted axis (23.5°), which causes different parts of Earth to receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year.
Question 3: Which gas makes up the largest percentage of Earth's atmosphere?
- Oxygen
- Carbon dioxide
- Nitrogen (Correct answer)
- Hydrogen
Correct answer: Nitrogen
Nitrogen makes up approximately 78% of Earth's atmosphere, while oxygen accounts for about 21%.
Question 4: What is the greenhouse effect?
- Growing plants in a glass building
- The process by which gases trap heat in Earth's atmosphere (Correct answer)
- The cooling of Earth by clouds
- Rain falling on forests
Correct answer: The process by which gases trap heat in Earth's atmosphere
The greenhouse effect occurs when greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide trap heat from the sun in Earth's atmosphere, warming the planet.
Question 5: What is a food chain?
- A list of foods animals eat
- A sequence showing how energy passes from one organism to another (Correct answer)
- The path water takes through an ecosystem
- The layers of soil in the ground
Correct answer: A sequence showing how energy passes from one organism to another
A food chain shows the flow of energy from producers (plants) through consumers (animals) in a sequential order.
Question 6: What is pollution?
- Natural weather changes
- The introduction of harmful substances into the environment (Correct answer)
- The growth of forests
- Rainfall in a desert
Correct answer: The introduction of harmful substances into the environment
Pollution is the introduction of harmful or poisonous substances into the natural environment, damaging air, water, or soil.
Stanford Achievement Test Stanford Achievement Environment and Earth Science 2
What type of rock is formed from cooled magma or lava?