Weathering and Soil Test Review
Weathering and Soil
Test Review
Question 1
• True or False: After chemical weathering, the chemical make up of the rock is the same.
• False
Question 2
• Which soil layer contains partially weathered rock?
• C Horizon
Question 3
• What is the loose material on the Earth’s surface that contains humus?
• Soil
Question 4
• Which soil layer is the best for growing plants?
• The A Horizon (Topsoil)
Question 5
• What agent of mechanical weathering wears away rock by the grinding action of other rock particles?
• Abrasion
Question 6
• How does ice wedging cause mechanical weathering of rocks?
• By freezing and thawing
Question 7
• The growth of plant roots and animal activity is what type of weathering?
• Mechanical Weathering
Question 8
• What kind of weathering causes the mineral composition of rocks to change?
• Chemical weathering
Question 9
• A rock containing iron becomes soft and crumbly and reddish-brown in color. It has probably been weathered by what?
• Oxygen (oxidation)
Question 10
• How does a hot and wet climate affect the rate of weathering?
• It makes it take place faster
Question 11
• What are the most important factors in determining the weathering rate of rocks?
• Climate and mineral composition
Question 12
• Why do permeable rocks weather easily?
• Because they are full of tiny connected air spaces
Question 13
• How does soil formation begin?
• With the weathering of rock
Question 14
• What is the mixture of rock particles, minerals, decayed organic material, water, and air called?
• Soil
Question 15
• What is the decayed organic material in soil called?
• Humus
Question 16
• Removing nutrients such as iron and copper from the ground is called what?
• Depletion
Question 17
• Which soil particle is the largest?
• Gravel
Question 18
• What soil particle is the smallest?
• Clay
Question 19
• The type of soil called loam is made of what?
• Nearly equal amounts of sand, silt, and clay
Question 20
• In which layer of soil is topsoil found?
• A Horizon
Question 21
• What type of particles does the B Horizon contain?
• Clay, minerals, and a little humus
Question 22
• What do living organisms do in the soil?
• Mix the soil and make humus
Question 23
• What do decomposers do in soil?
• Break down and digest the remains of dead organisms
Question 24
• Which organism does most of the work of mixing humus into the soil?
• Earthworms
Question 25
• What can cause the loss of soil that is not protected by plant cover?
• Erosion by wind or water
Question 26
• Plowing removed the grass from the Great Plains and exposed the soil. What effect did this have when a drought struck the Great Plains during the 1930’s?
• It helped to cause the Dust Bowl
Question 27
• Using land to grow food crops is an example of what?
• Agriculture
Question 28
• What is the solid layer of rock beneath the soil called?
• The Bedrock (R Horizon)
Question 29
• What is another name for the B Horizon?
• Subsoil
Question 30
• What type of weathering occurs when pollutants in the air mix with the water vapor in the air?
• Acid Rain