GRADED Practice Quiz: Fossils and Rock Layers

Which of these is an example of chemical weathering?

• Plants wedge their roots into cracks in rock and push it apart

• Acid rainwater seeps into the ground and dissolves limestone

• Gravitational force pulls rocks to the bottom of a mountain

• Rock pieces carried by river water wear away pieces of rock in the river bed

Answer explanation

Chemical weathering involves the alteration of minerals through chemical reactions. Acid rainwater dissolving limestone is a clear example, as it changes the rock's composition, unlike physical processes like root wedging or erosion.

Feldspar is one of the most common types of rocks that can be found within the Earth's crust. During events of rainfall, the water seeps down into the ground where it comes into contact with granite, a very hard rock that is also found in abundance in the Earth's crust. When the rainwater comes into contact with the granite, the minerals in the granite change to clay, causing the formation of feldspar. Which answer choice below presents an explanation for this event?

• This is an example of chemical weathering because the rock is not a new substance

• This is an example of physical weathering because we are getting a new substance

• This is an example of physical weathering because the minerals in the granite are staying the same

• This is an example of chemical weathering because the minerals in the granite are changing into a new substance

Answer explanation

This is an example of chemical weathering because the minerals in the granite are changing into a new substance, clay, due to the reaction with rainwater.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

What geologic process is represented in the image on the right?

• Chemical weathering

• Physical weathering

• Deposition

• Erosion

Answer explanation

Erosion is the process of wearing away and transporting soil and rock, often depicted in images showing landscapes shaped by wind, water, or ice. This distinguishes it from weathering and deposition, making it the correct choice.

Label the missing pieces of the rock types (A, B abd H) using the clues in the image shown.

• A-metamorphic

  B-sedimentary

  H-igneous

• A-igneous

  B-sedimentary

  H-metamorphic

• A-igneous

  B-metamorphic

  H-sedimentary

• A-sedimentary

  B-igneous

  H-metamorphic

Answer explanation

The correct labels are A-igneous, B-sedimentary, and H-metamorphic. Igneous rocks form from cooled magma, sedimentary rocks from accumulated sediments, and metamorphic rocks from altered existing rocks under heat and pressure.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which of the organisms would most likely be studied as a fossil today?

• Organism 1

• Organism 2

• Organism 3

• Organism 4

Answer explanation

Organism 2 is most likely to be studied as a fossil due to its characteristics, such as hard parts or a long existence in geological history, which increase the chances of fossilization compared to the other organisms.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Which rock layer is the most resistant to weathering and erosion?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Answer explanation

Rock layer 4 is the most resistant to weathering and erosion due to its composition, which likely includes harder minerals or denser materials that withstand environmental forces better than the other layers.

A student is visiting a local limestone quarry and finds fossils of seashells. The quarry is located hundreds of miles from the ocean. The fossils best indicate that

• This area was once below sea level.

• Global temperature changed over time.

• Erosion took place after a flood.

• Volcanic activity affected the area.

Answer explanation

The presence of seashell fossils in a limestone quarry, far from the ocean, indicates that this area was once submerged under water, suggesting it was below sea level in the past.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

As some organisms die, their remains become buried by mud and are eventually compressed into a type of rock. Which of these is a rock type that forms from this process?

• Igneous

• Sedimentary

• Metamorphic

• Volcanic

Answer explanation

Sedimentary rocks form from the accumulation and compression of organic remains and sediments. The process described in the question leads to the formation of sedimentary rock, making it the correct choice.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Why is a fossil more likely to form from the body of Fish A than from the body of Fish B?

• Soft parts of the fish will decay more quickly in the water

• Sediments in the water will quickly cover the fish

• Scavengers in the water will eat the remains of the fish

• Currents in the water will move the fish

Answer explanation

Fossils are more likely to form when sediments quickly cover the remains. This protects the fish from decay and scavengers, allowing for fossilization, making it more likely for Fish A to become a fossil than Fish B.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Which type of rock is most likely to contain fossils?

• Igneous rock, which forms from cooled and hardened magma

• Metamorphic rock, which forms from rock that is heated and pressed

• Sedimentary rock, which is formed from the compaction of sediments

• All rocks are equally likely to contain fossils

Answer explanation

Sedimentary rock is most likely to contain fossils because it forms from the compaction of sediments, which can include organic materials. In contrast, igneous and metamorphic rocks typically do not preserve fossils due to their formation processes.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3