AP Environmental Science : Introductory Concepts and Earth Science
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Example Questions
Example Question #2 : Soil Formation, Composition, And Properties
Which type of rock is found deep below the Earth's surface and is formed by intense heat and pressure?
None of these types
Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
Metamorphic
Metamorphic rock is the only kind of rock that is formed below the Earth's crust. Igneous rock is formed by lava and volcanic activity. Sedimentary rock is formed by the collection of sand and other microscopic components that are fused together. Generally, the last two kinds of rock are found in the crust only, unless they are melted into lava.
Example Question #1 : Soil Formation, Composition, And Properties
The soil beneath your feet is stratified into layers that help us understand how soil is formed. If you collected a soil sample that contained accumulations of clay and subsoil, from which horizon (layer) did this soil come?
R Horizon
A Horizon
O Horizon
C Horizon
B Horizon
B Horizon
The correct response is B Horizon. The B horizon is referred to as the zone of accumulation because all the clay, minerals, and subsoil that is washed into it via illuviation from the overlying layers of soil. The B horizon is usually dark red or brownish due to the presence of clay and iron oxides.
Example Question #24 : Soil And Geology
Soil is stratified into different layers, called horizons. Which horizon contains freshly fallen leaves, plant litter, and lots of organic matter?
C Horizon
R Horizon
O Horizon
A Horizon
B Horizon
O Horizon
The correct response is O Horizon. This O horizon is the layer closest to the surface - typically between the depths of 0 to 2 inches, and contains freshly fallen leaves, plant litter, and lots of other organic matter.
Example Question #1 : Soil Formation, Composition, And Properties
What are soil horizons?
The chemical properties of the soil
The horizontal layers of soils
The result of human disturbances
The physical properties of the soil
The materials that make up the soil
The horizontal layers of soils
There are six types of soil horizons and each has different chemical or physical properties. Each type of soil has a different number of horizons. The horizons start at the parent material (bedrock) and continue up to the surface.
Example Question #1 : Soil Formation, Composition, And Properties
What is the brown insoluble particles from partially decomposed organic matter?
Minerals
Waterlog
Humus
Rill
Clay
Humus
The correct response is humus. This is one of the most important components to soil communities. Humus is formed as things like leaves, branches, and other vegetation breakdown (slowly) over time. Earthworms and microbes help speed up the process of breaking down dead organic matter into humus.
Example Question #31 : Soil And Geology
Conserving our natural resources is one of the challenging issues of the 21st century. What important natural resource is comprised of clay, silt, pebbles, and sand?
Fossil fuels
Iron
Coal
Soil
Soil
The correct response is soil. Soil is a mix of sand, clay, pebbles, and silt. It is the foundation of all our ecosystems.
Example Question #32 : Soil And Geology
Soil scientists help farmers discover how healthy their soils are. When a soil scientist measures the ability of soil particles to clump together, what soil property are they measuring?
Strength
Sensitivity
Cohesion
Plasticity
Cohesion
The correct response is cohesion. This property measures how well a soil clumps together or breaks apart.
Example Question #33 : Soil And Geology
When a soil scientist measures how well water moves through the soil, what soil property is he/she measuring?
Strength
Permeability
Excavation
Compressibility
Permeability
The correct response is permeability. This measure how quickly water can move through any substance - including soil.
Example Question #1 : Types Of Soil
What are the three main types of soil?
Silt, loam and parent material
Sand, silt and clay
Loam, silt and sand
Silt, clay and humus
Clay, humus and loam
Sand, silt and clay
Silt, clay and sand are the three main types of soil. Loam is actually a soil mixture with a high clay content, and humus is organic matter present in soil (particularly in the top organic "O" layer), but neither are a main type of soil.
Example Question #2 : Types Of Soil
List these types of soil by their particle size from largest to smallest.
Sand, clay and silt
Clay, silt, sand
Sand, silt, clay
Clay, sand and silt
Silt, sand, clay
Sand, silt, clay
Sand is defined as having a diameter ranging from 0.05 mm to 2 mm, silt as having a diameter ranging from 0.05 mm to 0.002 mm, and clay as having a diameter smaller than 0.002 mm. Therefore, sand particles are the largest, followed by silt, and then clay being the smallest particles in the spectrum.
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