Multiple Choice
Identify the
letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1.
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Most
of the weathering of Cleopatra’s Needle is caused by ____. a. | hydrolysis | c. | oxidation | b. | chemical weathering | d. | frost wedging | | | | |
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2.
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Which
of the following has the potential for the most erosion? a. | water flowing
across a flatland | b. | wind blowing materials in the air, against the force of
gravity | c. | wind blowing materials down a slope | d. | water flowing
down a steep slope | | |
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3.
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What
is one source of organic matter in soil? a. | acid precipitation | c. | weathered topsoil | b. | dead fungi,
bacteria, and protozoa | d. | eroding
bedrock | | | | |
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4.
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Of
the three soil samples shown below, Sample 1, the darkest and richest, would be found in ____ of a
typical soil profile.
a. | horizon A | c. | horizon C | b. | horizon
B | d. | the
hardpan | | | | |
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5.
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Which
of the following characteristics of water can be responsible for mechanical
weathering? a. | Water flows
downstream under gravity. | b. | Water expands when it freezes. | c. | Water combines
with atmospheric gases to form acid rain. | d. | Water reacts with and can dissolve many kinds of
minerals. | | |
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6.
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Which
of the following statements is NOT true of soil? a. | It is a loose covering of broken rock particles and decaying
organic matter. | b. | There is one kind of soil in the United
States. | c. | Living organisms add nutrients to it. | d. | It takes a long
time to form. | | |
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7.
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Which
of the following happens when a river enters a large body of water? a. | The river water
slows down and deposits large amounts of sediments. | b. | The river water
increases its speed and carries out gully erosion. | c. | The river water
flows over the delta, causing exfoliation. | d. | The river water erodes the shoreline and deposits barrier
islands. | | |
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8.
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The
color of a soil ____. a. | is a reliable indicator of its
fertility | b. | is always dark brown or black | c. | is not dependent
on the amount of humus | d. | is determined by its composition and
climate | | |
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9.
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Which
of the following statements is NOT true of soils in sloped areas? a. | Smaller
particles remain on the slopes, while coarser particles move downslope. | b. | Soils on slopes
tend to be infertile. | c. | Valley soils are usually thick. | d. | South-facing
slopes have somewhat thicker soils than slopes facing other directions. | | |
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10.
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There
can be no stream erosion or glacial erosion without ____. a. | gravity | c. | wind | b. | hydrolysis | d. | deposition | | | | |
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Matching
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Match each item with the correct definition below. a. | residual
soil | f. | soil | b. | transported soil | g. | soil profile | c. | exfoliation | h. | chemical
weathering | d. | oxidation | i. | frost wedging | e. | hydrolysis | | | | |
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11.
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A
vertical sequence of soil layers
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12.
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The
chemical reaction of oxygen with other substances
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13.
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Soil
that has been moved to a location away from its parent bedrock
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14.
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Soil
located above its parent material
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15.
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The
process by which outer layers of a rock are stripped away
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Short Answer
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16.
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What
is the difference between weathering and erosion?
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17.
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What
is acid precipitation and how does it affect the weathering process?
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18.
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Give
an example of how animals, including humans, affect the erosional process.
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19.
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Describe how soils form layers.
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20.
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Below
is a picture of a soil profile. Compare the characteristics of soil in Horizon A with soil in Horizon
B.
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21.
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How
does climate influence the rate of weathering of earth materials?
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22.
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Describe how soil forms.
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Study
the diagram. Then answer the following questions.
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23.
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What
property of soil does the diagram illustrate?
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24.
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Name
the three sizes of soil particles, from largest to smallest.
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25.
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In
general, soil drainage is determined by particle size: the larger the particle size, the better the
drainage. Compare the drainage of sand, sandy clay, and clay soils.
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Problem
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A
golf course designer, who is about to build a championship golf course, has come to you with a
problem. He tells you that parts of his developing course cannot grow grass and tend to flood. After
testing the soil, you decide that the reason it drains poorly and doesn’t retain adequate
moisture is because it has too much nonporous clay. You tell him that by adding soil conditioners,
the new soil will improve its drainage and retain more water. You mention that water retention is
important because water supplies are low in the hot summer months, and grasses need water to stay
green. Improved drainage will also allow more rainfall to be soaked into the soil, thus lessening
runoff and water erosion.
You develop a
simple setup to test various soil combinations for drainage and water retention. You will add dry
soil, which was heated to expel all moisture, to a beaker. The beaker has a drain hole in the bottom
to allow the drainage of excess water to a measuring cylinder. You add 200 ml of water to the beakers
with the various soil combinations. After one hour, you then reweigh the soil and measure the
drainage water.
The clay is the unsuitable soil from the golf course.
Humus and sand were picked up from a local nursery, and soils A and B are higher priced synthetic
soils produced by a chemical company. Most of the soil combinations drained in less than 30 minutes.
When the drain time is greater than 60 minutes, this indicates poor drainage and some of the water
will remain on top of the soil, where it either evaporates or runs off. All water weights are given
in grams. One gram of water is approximately equal to one milliliter.
| | Clay | Clay +
Humus | Clay +
Sand | Clay +
Soil
A | Clay
+
Soil B | Dry soil weight | 600
g | 600 g | 600 g | 600
g | 600 g | Water added | 200
g | 200 g | 200 g | 200
g | 200 g | Wet soil weight | 690
g | 730 g | 640 g | 730
g | 760 g | Water drainage | 20
g | 70 g | 160 g | 70
g | 35 g | Time to drain | >60
min | 30 min | 20 min | 30
min | >60 min | | | | | | |
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26.
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The
water added to the dry soil should equal the weight of the wet soil plus the drainage weight. If it
doesn’t, it’s because some of the water evaporated or ran off. Using the data from the
chart provided above, complete the table below by indicating the amount of water that either
evaporated or ran off.
| | Clay | Clay +
Humus | Clay +
Sand | Clay +
Soil
A | Clay
+
Soil B | Water
evaporated/runoff | | | | | | | | | | | |
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27.
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Compare the use of sand and humus as far as their ability to retain water and improve
drainage.
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28.
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How
does Soil A and B compare to humus as far as their ability to retain water and improve
drainage.
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29.
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Why
do you suppose clay has such a high evaporation rate?
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30.
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What
soil combination would you recommend to the golf course designer? What are some other factors that
might influence the selection of the best soil conditioner?
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