Workspace▸ Science▸ Test 103
← Back to Science
Science · Drill 103

Science practice 103

6 questions ~9 min recommended
⏱ 00:00
Score
—

Table 1

Physical weathering

Mechanism Results
Animals and plants Animals burrow into the earth, moving rock fragments and sediment. Plant roots have the same effect.
Crystallization Water evaporates from rock, which leads to the development of salt crystals2. The crystals grow, eventually breaking apart the rock.
Temperature variation Minerals in rocks expand and contract with temperature changes. Repeated expansion and contraction cracks and splits4 the rocks.
Exfoliation Exfoliation3 occurs as slabs of cracked rock slip off other rock, which leads to further erosion.

Table 3

Biological weathering

Mechanism Results
Lichens Lichens are rich in chelating agents6, which trap elements of the decomposing rock, resulting in etching and grooving.
Bacteria Bacteria alter the acidity of groundwater5, which can lead to erosion of the rock.

PASSAGE IV

The term weathering refers to the processes that cause surface rock to disintegrate into smaller particles or dissolve in water. These processes are often slow, taking place over thousands of years. The amount of time that rock has been exposed to the elements (primarily wind and water) influences the degree to which the rock will weather.

Weathering processes are divided into three categories: physical, chemical, and biological.

Table 1 shows some of the factors that contribute to physical weathering.

Chemical weathering occurs when minerals in rock are chemically altered. Table 2 shows some of the factors that contribute to chemical weathering.

Plants and bacteria contribute to biological weathering. The ultimate product of biological agents on rock is soil. Table 3 shows some factors of biological weathering.

1. Based on the data in the passage, plants contribute to which of the following types of weathering?

2. According to Table 1, extreme temperature changes can lead to:

3. A layer of fine sediment mixed with some organic material is found surrounding a rock formation. The most likely cause for this is:

4. Based on Table 2, the factor that contributes most to the alteration of minerals and rock is:

5. According to Table 3, a chelating agent:

6. Rainwater is slightly acidic, and it can dissolve many minerals over time. This process is most consistent with the mechanism of:

← Prev test Next test →
Jump to