Earth and Space Science

Practice Questions

4th Grade Science › Earth and Space Science

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1

This is a map of different active volcanoes in California and their hazard levels and zones.

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Based on the map provided, what pattern can be identified with the location of the volcanoes?

2

There are 169 potentially active volcanoes in the United States. This map indicates the location of these volcanoes using multi-colored triangles. The different colors indicate levels of concern based on data from scientists observing them.

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Based on the map, what pattern can be determined about the volcanoes' location?

Source: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/index.html

3

The state of Hawaii wants to invest money in protecting residents and communities from volcanoes. Which solution would be the most beneficial to residents and reduce the impact of a volcanic eruption?

4

Which solution to reduce the impacts of an earthquake would be beneficial to the LEAST amount of people?

5

Coal Power

The typical coal plant in the United States creates more than 125,000 tons of ash and 193,000 tons of sludge each year. On average, 42% of coal combustion waste ponds and landfills are unlined. This means that the substances in the waste can seep into the ground and nearby lakes. Some of the substances include arsenic, mercury, chromium, and cadmium. These can contaminate drinking water supplies and come in direct contact with the consumers who drink water from these areas.

The disposal of coal plant waste has damaged many ecosystems. Once the coal plants have cycled through billions of gallons of water to cool the system, it is dumped back into the river, ocean, or lake it is pulling water from. When this hot water is released back into the body of water, it creates “thermal pollution,” and this can cause harm to the plants and animals living in this area. Many plants add chemicals to their cooling water, so this is released back into the lake, ocean, or river with the hot water.

This article focuses on the various impacts that producing power with coal can have on the environment. Which answer choice(s) list a NEGATIVE example of how coal affects the environment?

6

The top resources used for fuel and energy in 2019 were coal, natural gas, and petroleum gas. These are resources that are mined from the Earth and nonrenewable. What type of effect would there be on the environment if people switched to renewable resources like wind, water, and solar power?

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7

Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources. They are nonrenewable because they take millions of years to form. Earth’s oil took 500 million years to develop. Fossil fuels are formed from the remains of organisms. Fossil fuels are rich in energy. Coal is formed from plant remains that have been buried for millions of years. Coal is the fuel used in many electrical power plants. Oil is a thick, black, liquid fossil fuel. Oil forms from the remains of ocean organisms. Petroleum is another name for oil. Natural gas is a mixture of gases. Natural gas forms from the remains of ocean organisms.

Fossil fuels are used for __________.

8

A material that is found in nature and helpful to humans is called a ________________.

9

This is a topographical map of the United States that shows the earthquake fault lines. The red, orange, and purple lines represent areas at risk for earthquakes. Based on this map what patterns can you describe regarding the United States' earthquake fault lines?

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10

This is a topographical map of the United States. There are many landforms visible on the map and are either color-coded or textured. River, lakes, and oceans can be seen in blue. Green represents forests and wooded areas. Where the map looks rippled or almost three-dimensional are mountain ranges and elevation.

Which answer choice describes patterns of Earth's features that can be identified with this map?

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