Unit 8

The model shows an aquifer.

When an area is experiencing drought, humans may excessively pump groundwater out of aquifers like this one. All of the following are effects of this excessive pumping EXCEPT —

• groundwater depleting.

• the water table rising.

• soil collapsing.

• water quality decreasing.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

A student sets up the investigation shown.

The movement of colored water through the gravel best models —

• condensation of water vapor

• surface runoff of precipitation

• conservation of water

• pollution of groundwater

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Lightning can cause a forest fire, destroying the majority of plants in a forest. A forest fire will do all of the following EXCEPT —

• increase the amount of sunlight that can reach the forest floor, allowing new plant growth.

• cause a huge decrease in the predator population, maintaining the prey population numbers.

• increase nutrients in the soil available for plants, allowing for increased growth.

• stimulate the germination of certain seeds that need heat to complete a plant's life cycle.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Polar bears in the Arctic use the sea ice that covers the North Pole as a platform for hunting seals, the mainstay of their diet. Recent data suggest that Arctic sea ice may have thinned as much as 40% over the past 50 years. If the polar ice continues to melt, it is likely that the polar bear will become extinct. Many scientists believe that the melting of the Arctic sea ice is due primarily to human activities. Which of the following human activities would have the most direct effect on the thickness of the polar ice cap?

• Increased nuclear energy production

• Increased fishing in the Arctic ocean

• Increased burning of fossil fuels

• Increased human population

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

How do the industrial, agricultural, and residential activities of humans most likely affect the groundwater in the area?

• The activities prevent most of the water from evaporating into the atmosphere.

• Pollutants from the activities percolate through the soil and enter the water table.

• The activities replace the groundwater used.

• All of the above

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

Highly developed regions contain large amounts of fertilizers in their soil due to yard maintenance. When these fertilizers are released from the soil, they enter local ponds, where they deposit an unusually high amount of organic matter. This excessive organic matter leads to massive algal blooms. What is the most likely result of the fertilizer entering the pond?

• An increase in light received by organisms that live below the water's surface

• An increase in the diversity of the organisms in pond

• A decrease in light received by organisms that live below the water's surface

• A decrease in the amount of soil and sediment at the bottom of the pond

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

How does the agricultural activity most likely affect the surface water of the area?

• Excess crop fertilizer is carried by runoff into the river, causing excess growth of water

  plants.

• Excess crop material accumulates on the riverbanks, slowing the movement of the river

  water.

• Crops reduce erosion, increasing the amount of soil entering the river.

• Crops absorb pure water from soil, causing the remaining water to contain more salt.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

The photograph below shows rusting barrels floating in shallow river water. Use the photograph and your knowledge of science to answer any questions that follow.

How will the rusting barrels in this stream affect the surface water in the watershed ecosystem?

• The barrels will drop the temperature of the surface water that reaches the river.

• The barrels will alter the course of the surface water that reaches the river.

• The barrels will pollute the surface water that reaches the river.

• The barrels will filter the surface water that reaches the river.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-5

The picture below shows Hurricane Sandy as it approached the northeastern part of the Unites States.

All of the following could have been effects of Hurricane Sandy EXCEPT —

• decreased local animal populations, because animals died during the storm.

• negative human-animal interactions, because animals move toward shelter.

• dehydration and animal deaths, because of increased temperatures.

• larger mosquito populations, because mosquitoes lay larvae on standing water.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

The diagram traces the development of acid rain from factory pollutants. The diagram does not explain how acid rain —

• can get into groundwater and increase the acidity of local watersheds.

• forms within the water cycle at different phases.

• is chemically broken down into harmful substances when it enters bodies of water.

• is formed because factories release sulfuric and nitric oxides into the air.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2