Soil Quiz

Which word means: to break down or decay living things

• plant matter
• weathering
• decompose
• trees

Which word means: dead plants on the forest floor

• plant matter
• weathering
• decompose
• trees

Which word means: the break down of rock into smaller pieces

• plant matter
• weathering
• decompose
• trees

Which word means: uses the nutrients in soil to grow

• plant matter
• weathering
• decompose
• trees

The weathering of rocks into small pieces forms what natural resource?

• minerals
• water
• coal
• soil

How would the soil be different in an area that gets very little rainfall? The soil would contain-

• much smaller pieces of rock.
• many insects and worms.
• a greater variety of plants.
• less water and organic matter.

How do plants contribute to the formation of soil? Plants-

• cover the soil and shade it from sunlight.
• die, decompose and become part of the soil.
• use soil to grow and develop over time.
• support the animal life in the soil.

A student made a mixture of sand, tiny rocks, small twigs, and some leaves. This student has modeled-

• how rocks change over time.
• the life cycles of plants.
• the formation of soil.
• how landforms are created.

A student exploring the formation of soil put rocks in a plastic jar of water and shook it. Afterwards there were small pieces of broken rock in the water. What process in the formation of soil does this model?

• weathering of earth materials
• decay of plant matter
• formation of various minerals
• mixing of water and air

What does humus contain?

• sand
• glass
• clay
• decayed plants and animal