Earth & Space Science — Sample exam worked answers
Student exam paperA rehearsal paper with separate worked solutions; use it before the final.
18 questions · 36 points · suggested 90 minutes
Student instructions
- Suggested time: 90 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 | 4 |
| Earth’s Interior & Plate Tectonics | 3, 4 | 4 |
| Rocks, Landscapes & Water | 5, 6 | 4 |
| Earth’s History | 7, 8 | 4 |
| Atmosphere & Weather | 9, 10 | 4 |
| Oceans, Carbon & Climate | 11, 12 | 4 |
| Earth, Moon & Solar System | 13, 14 | 4 |
| Stars & the Universe | 15, 16 | 4 |
| Resources & Human Decisions | 17, 18 | 4 |
Parent / teacher marking guide
- Mark objective answers after submission. Written marks remain pending until a parent or teacher applies the three-point criteria.
- Accept scientifically equivalent wording and valid alternative methods. Award stated method credit for a correct model or substitution even if later arithmetic fails.
- A raw percentage describes this paper only; it is not a validated course grade or a certification. Review chapter-level evidence and the learner’s independent explanations.
- Record support and accommodations, save corrections and reassess with different tasks. Do not count copied solutions as independent mastery.
Question 1 · 1 point
Which is an inference?
- The gauge reads 10 mm.
- The thermometer reads 18°C.
- The storm likely caused the river rise.
- The sample has mass 20 g.
Worked answer
The storm likely caused the river rise.
The statement interprets a cause rather than reporting a measurement.
1 point for the correct objective answer; no written-method marks for this item.
Question 2 · 3 points
Elevation rises from 120 m to 300 m over a horizontal distance of 3 km. Find gradient.
Worked answer
60 meters of elevation change per kilometer horizontally.
Elevation change=300−120=180 m.
Gradient=180 m/3 km=60 m/km.
Marking criteria
- 1 point: identify the appropriate model or mechanism for this task.
- 1 point: show the calculation or evidence in the worked steps: Elevation change=300−120=180 m.
- 1 point: reach a scientifically supported conclusion: 60 meters of elevation change per kilometer horizontally.
Question 3 · 1 point
The asthenosphere is important to plate tectonics because it
- is mainly solid rock that can deform and flow slowly beneath the rigid lithosphere
- is the coldest layer of the Earth
- makes up the solid inner core
- is where all earthquakes stop
Worked answer
is mainly solid rock that can deform and flow slowly beneath the rigid lithosphere
The asthenosphere is mainly solid mantle material that can deform over long times. It is not a worldwide liquid ocean of magma. Partial melt can occur in some regions.
1 point for the correct objective answer; no written-method marks for this item.
Question 4 · 3 points
Two towns have similar hazard; one has weak crowded buildings and the other reinforced sparse buildings. Compare risk.
Worked answer
The first town plausibly has higher risk; a numerical estimate needs more detailed evidence.
Hazard is comparable, but exposure and vulnerability differ.
The crowded weak buildings increase the potential consequences.
Marking criteria
- 1 point: identify the appropriate model or mechanism for this task.
- 1 point: show the calculation or evidence in the worked steps: Hazard is comparable, but exposure and vulnerability differ.
- 1 point: reach a scientifically supported conclusion: The first town plausibly has higher risk; a numerical estimate needs more detailed evidence.
Question 5 · 1 point
Which property is generally the LEAST reliable for identifying a mineral?
- Streak
- Color
- Hardness
- Luster
Worked answer
Color
Color is unreliable because trace impurities can cause the same mineral to appear in several different colors.
1 point for the correct objective answer; no written-method marks for this item.
Question 6 · 3 points
A simplified basin receives 120 units of water, loses 85 naturally and has 20 withdrawn. Find storage change.
Worked answer
Storage rises by 15 units in this supplied model, assuming no omitted flows.
Total output=85+20=105 units.
Change=120−105=15 units.
Marking criteria
- 1 point: identify the appropriate model or mechanism for this task.
- 1 point: show the calculation or evidence in the worked steps: Total output=85+20=105 units.
- 1 point: reach a scientifically supported conclusion: Storage rises by 15 units in this supplied model, assuming no omitted flows.
Question 7 · 1 point
According to the law of superposition, in an undisturbed sequence of rock layers, which layer is the oldest?
- The layer on the very bottom
- The layer on the very top
- The middle layer
- It's impossible to tell
Worked answer
The layer on the very bottom
Superposition says undisturbed layers get younger as you go up, so the bottom layer formed first and is the oldest.
1 point for the correct objective answer; no written-method marks for this item.
Question 8 · 3 points
Why do researchers use meteorites as well as Earth's oldest rocks to study early solar-system history?
Worked answer
Independent records help reconstruct events that surviving Earth rocks alone cannot fully record.
Earth's earliest record has been altered and recycled.
Some meteorites preserve material from early solar-system processes that complements terrestrial evidence.
Marking criteria
- 1 point: identify the appropriate model or mechanism for this task.
- 1 point: show the calculation or evidence in the worked steps: Earth's earliest record has been altered and recycled.
- 1 point: reach a scientifically supported conclusion: Independent records help reconstruct events that surviving Earth rocks alone cannot fully record.
Question 9 · 1 point
What is it called when plants release water vapor through their leaves?
- Transpiration
- Respiration
- Condensation
- Sublimation
Worked answer
Transpiration
Transpiration is water vapor released through tiny openings in plant leaves; combined with evaporation, it's called evapotranspiration.
1 point for the correct objective answer; no written-method marks for this item.
Question 10 · 3 points
A front moves 180 km between maps taken 6 h apart. Find its average speed and one forecasting limit.
Worked answer
30 km/h over the measured interval; a later arrival estimate needs continued observations.
Average speed=180/6=30 km/h.
Future speed or direction can change, so straight extrapolation is an assumption.
Marking criteria
- 1 point: identify the appropriate model or mechanism for this task.
- 1 point: show the calculation or evidence in the worked steps: Average speed=180/6=30 km/h.
- 1 point: reach a scientifically supported conclusion: 30 km/h over the measured interval; a later arrival estimate needs continued observations.
Question 11 · 1 point
Which of these gases is a greenhouse gas?
- Carbon dioxide
- Nitrogen
- Oxygen
- Argon
Worked answer
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide absorbs and re-emits outgoing heat; nitrogen, oxygen, and argon make up most of the atmosphere but are not significant greenhouse gases.
1 point for the correct objective answer; no written-method marks for this item.
Question 12 · 3 points
An annual temperature is 14°C; baseline A is 12°C and B is 13°C. Find both anomalies.
Worked answer
+2°C relative to A and +1°C relative to B; the actual temperature is unchanged.
Subtract each reference from the measurement.
14−12=+2°C; 14−13=+1°C.
Marking criteria
- 1 point: identify the appropriate model or mechanism for this task.
- 1 point: show the calculation or evidence in the worked steps: Subtract each reference from the measurement.
- 1 point: reach a scientifically supported conclusion: +2°C relative to A and +1°C relative to B; the actual temperature is unchanged.
Question 13 · 1 point
Which phase comes right after a new moon?
- Waxing crescent
- Full moon
- Waning gibbous
- Third quarter
Worked answer
Waxing crescent
Right after new moon, a thin sliver of light begins to grow — that's the waxing crescent.
1 point for the correct objective answer; no written-method marks for this item.
Question 14 · 3 points
For the same star, orbit B has semimajor axis 4 times A's. What is its period ratio?
Worked answer
Orbit B's period is 8 times orbit A's under this model.
T² scales with a³, so the squared period ratio is 4³=64.
Take the square root: T_B/T_A=8.
Marking criteria
- 1 point: identify the appropriate model or mechanism for this task.
- 1 point: show the calculation or evidence in the worked steps: T² scales with a³, so the squared period ratio is 4³=64.
- 1 point: reach a scientifically supported conclusion: Orbit B's period is 8 times orbit A's under this model.
Question 15 · 1 point
A cool but very luminous star may be a…
- red giant
- small white dwarf only
- dark planet only
- star with no surface area
Worked answer
red giant
A large radiating area can produce high luminosity at lower temperature.
1 point for the correct objective answer; no written-method marks for this item.
Question 16 · 3 points
A known line at 500 nm appears at 510 nm. Calculate z=(observed−rest)/rest.
Worked answer
Redshift z=0.02; interpretation needs the full pattern and relevant model.
Wavelength difference=510−500=10 nm.
z=10/500=0.02; the wavelength units cancel.
Marking criteria
- 1 point: identify the appropriate model or mechanism for this task.
- 1 point: show the calculation or evidence in the worked steps: Wavelength difference=510−500=10 nm.
- 1 point: reach a scientifically supported conclusion: Redshift z=0.02; interpretation needs the full pattern and relevant model.
Question 17 · 1 point
Fossil fuels are considered nonrenewable mainly because...
- They are found only in a few countries
- They take millions of years to form, far slower than we use them
- They cannot be burned for energy
- They are not found underground
Worked answer
They take millions of years to form, far slower than we use them
Fossil fuels form over millions of years, a pace far too slow to keep up with how quickly people use them.
1 point for the correct objective answer; no written-method marks for this item.
Question 18 · 3 points
Design A reduces modeled runoff from 100 to 70 mL; B reduces it to 55 mL. Compare percentage reductions and name missing evidence.
Worked answer
A gives 30% and B 45% in this model; that alone does not establish the best real design.
A reduction is (100−70)/100×100=30%.
B gives 45%; costs, maintenance, habitat and real-scale behavior are still unknown.
Marking criteria
- 1 point: identify the appropriate model or mechanism for this task.
- 1 point: show the calculation or evidence in the worked steps: A reduction is (100−70)/100×100=30%.
- 1 point: reach a scientifically supported conclusion: A gives 30% and B 45% in this model; that alone does not establish the best real design.