Earth & Space Science — Midterm exam

An independent assessment of the core chapters listed below, followed by corrections and discussion.

15 questions · 35 points · suggested 60 minutes

Student instructions

Suggested time: 60 minutes; allow breaks or accommodations and record them.
Work independently with a calculator, blank paper and the reference relationships printed in this paper. Grades 9, 11 and 12 may also use the course-linked NYSED reference tables. Use no lesson notes or answer key during an assessed attempt.
Show reasoning and units for written tasks. All supplied datasets are illustrative; do not present them as measurements you collected.
Objective items: 1 point each. Written items: 3 points each, one per criterion. A parent or teacher marks the written work; the app never grades an explanation automatically.
Sample exam: try the whole paper before opening the worked key, then revisit the linked chapters. The sample and final are different papers; this is a course assessment, not an official Regents examination.

Reference relationships

Relationship or tool	Conditions
Maps and budgets	Gradient=elevation change/horizontal distance; storage change=inputs−outputs.
Radioactive decay	Remaining parent fraction=(½)ⁿ; age=n×half-life under the stated dating assumptions.
Orbital ratios	For one dominant central mass, T²/a³ is constant; compare semimajor axes in the same units.
Spectra	Redshift z=(observed wavelength−rest wavelength)/rest wavelength. Match line patterns first.
Earth and Space reference tables	Use the linked 2024 NYSED tables: read title, units, legend and conditions; write the table evidence used.

Coverage and marks

Chapter	Questions	Points
Investigating Earth	1, 2, 3	7
Earth’s Interior & Plate Tectonics	4, 5, 6	7
Rocks, Landscapes & Water	7, 8, 9	7
Earth’s History	10, 11, 12	7
Atmosphere & Weather	13, 14, 15	7

Name: ____________________ Date: ____________________

Question 1 · 1 point

Elevation rises 60 m over a horizontal distance of 3 km. Find gradient.

Question 2 · 3 points

Three rain measurements are 12, 14, and 13 mm. Report a useful summary.

Question 3 · 3 points

Evaluate the evidence in this supplied classroom investigation: Build and Evaluate a Landscape Profile. State a supported claim, cite two specific entries from the dataset, and identify one limitation plus an improvement.

Question 4 · 1 point

The mantle is about 2,900 km thick, and the outer core is about 2,200 km thick. How many km thicker is the mantle than the outer core?

Question 5 · 3 points

Earth's radius is about 6,371 km, and continental crust averages about 40 km thick. About what percent of Earth's radius is the crust?

Question 6 · 3 points

Evaluate the evidence in this supplied classroom investigation: Test a Seafloor-Spreading Model. State a supported claim, cite two specific entries from the dataset, and identify one limitation plus an improvement.

Question 7 · 1 point

A mineral breaks apart along smooth, flat surfaces that follow its internal crystal structure. This property is called…

fracture
cleavage
luster
streak

Question 8 · 3 points

A mystery mineral scratches a piece of calcite, but a piece of fluorite scratches the mystery mineral. Between which two Mohs hardness numbers must the mystery mineral's hardness fall?

Question 9 · 3 points

Evaluate the evidence in this supplied classroom investigation: Account for Water in a Landscape Model. State a supported claim, cite two specific entries from the dataset, and identify one limitation plus an improvement.

Question 10 · 1 point

Which era/nickname pairing is correct?

Mesozoic — age of reptiles
Cenozoic — age of reptiles
Paleozoic — age of mammals
Precambrian — age of dinosaurs

Question 11 · 3 points

If Earth's entire 4.6-billion-year history were squeezed into one 365-day calendar year (starting January 1), around what date would the mass extinction that ended the dinosaurs — about 66 million years ago — fall on?

Question 12 · 3 points

Evaluate the evidence in this supplied classroom investigation: Model Radioactive Decay and Date an Event. State a supported claim, cite two specific entries from the dataset, and identify one limitation plus an improvement.

Question 13 · 1 point

Rising air cools, and water vapor changes into the tiny liquid droplets that form clouds. What is this process called?

Precipitation
Condensation
Runoff
Evaporation

Question 14 · 3 points

Starting with ocean water, put the water cycle in order through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation as rain over a mountain range. Name what drives each step.

Question 15 · 3 points

Evaluate the evidence in this supplied classroom investigation: Make and Revise a Weather Forecast. State a supported claim, cite two specific entries from the dataset, and identify one limitation plus an improvement.

Revisit the covered chapters

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