question

The Sun is a star in the ____ galaxy

answer

Milky Way

question

Earth's Diameter is CLOSEST to _____ kilometers

answer

12,000

question

The response to Earth's rotation is

answer

polar flattening

question

The first nearly correct measurement of the Earth's circumference was made by ______.

answer

Eratostenes

question

"Greenwich Mean Time" is also known as _____.

answer

Universal Time Coordinated

question

The Sun's rays are directly overhead at the ______ on or about December 21.

answer

Tropic of Capricorn

question

The north end of Earth's axis points towards

answer

Polaris

question

How many degrees of latitude are there between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn?

answer

47

question

The Greenwich Meridian is also known as the _____________.

answer

Prime Meridian

question

At the Equator (0 degrees), a given point on Earth's surface travels about _______ kilometers per hour.

answer

1,600

question

Near the North Pole, one degree of latitude extends _____ kilometer(s) on the ground.

answer

111

question

The world is divided into _________ standard zones.

answer

24

question

Before time zones were created in the 1880s, one could encounter ____________ time standards on a rail trip across the United States.

answer

more than 20

question

Of the following, which is a great circle?

answer

Equator

question

Of the following, which is the first day of spring?

answer

vernal equinox

question

The maximum distance between Earth and Sun occurs in July and is called the ________.

answer

aphelion

question

On June 21, the Sun's rays are directly over the

answer

Tropic of Cancer

question

The fact that at any time during the year, the Earth's axis is parallel to its orientation at all other times is called parallelism, or ______

answer

polarity

question

Russia is the country containing the most time zones. It contains ______ zones

answer

9

question

The altitudinal difference (relief) between the top of the tallest mountain and the bottom of the deepest ocean trench is CLOSEST to ______ kilometers

answer

20

question

The U.S. spans _____ time zones

answer

6

question

The closest position taken by the Earth relative to the Sun is _____ million kilometers

answer

147

question

When the circle of illumination just touches the Arctic Circle and the North Pole is dark, the date is closest to

answer

December 21

question

The geographic grid line 180 degrees of longitude from the Prime Meridian is the ______

answer

180th Meridian

question

Our solar system contains________moons revolving around the planets

answer

more than one hundred (100+)

question

A cross section of Earth cut from pole to pole would reveal which shape?

answer

ellipse

question

How many time zones are contained within Alaska?

answer

1

question

A ________ separates Earth into two hemisphers

answer

great circle

question

Longitude is divided into multiples of ______ degrees for the purpose of delimiting standard time zones.

answer

15

question

Eratostenes was the first to accurately measure the Earth's _______

answer

circumfrence

question

Universal Time Coordinated is also known as ______________

answer

Greenwich Mean Time

question

The 0 degree Meridian is the same line as the ______

answer

Prime Meridian

question

A spot on Earth's surface rotates fastest at the __________

answer

Equator

question

One degree of longitude equals 0 miles on the ground at the ______________

answer

North Pole

question

The distance of 150,000,000 kilometers is CLOSEST to being ___________

answer

the average Earth/Sun distance

question

The Milky Way is one of, at least, _______ galaxies in the Universe

answer

two hundred billion

question

The Earth/Sun aphelion occurs once per year during the month of _______

answer

July

question

When the Sun's rays are directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn, it is _____________-

answer

December 21

question

At the time of the aphelion, Earth is _________ million kilometers from the Sun.

answer

152

question

The Milky Way is a galaxy some _______light years in diameter

answer

100,000

question

The solar system's Jovian planets are most likely composed of ___________

answer

gas

question

The moon is some _______ kilometers distant from Earth

answer

385,000

question

In science, the term "theory" is

answer

the highest order of understanding

question

At the International Date Line, there is a change of ______

answer

day

question

The farthest north the vertical rays of the Sun ever reach north of the Equator occurs on or about _______

answer

June 21

question

Standardization in world time zones dates from ________

answer

1884

question

the Earth is 3.3 percent closer to the Sun during the Northern Hemisphere ________ than when it is the farthest away.

answer

winter

question

On both the Spring and Fall equinoxes, the Sun's rays are vertically overhead at the ____________

answer

Equator

question

The highest numbered latitude used in the geographic grid is ______ degrees.

answer

90

question

Which of the following is out of order in the ideal application of the scientific method? A) observe a phenomenon that stimulates a question B) design an experiment C) observe the outcome of an experiment D) formulate a rule E) make a hypothesis

answer

E) make a hypothesis

question

Which of the following is a central meridian in the standardized time system? 5 d W, 10 d W, 15 d W, 20 d W, 25 d W

answer

15 degrees West

question

A(n) _________ is a vertical piece of metal on a sundial.

answer

gnomon

question

The constant angle between Earth's axis and the Plane of the Ecliptic is called Earth's ______

answer

polarity

question

The circle of illumination just touches the Antarctic Circle on or about _______

answer

June 21

question

The acceptance of a theory or hypothesis is based on ________

answer

a preponderance of evidence

question

Numbered meridians

answer

are semicircles

question

The most important physical effect of the Earth's rotation is ________

answer

the alternation of sunlight and darkness

question

The solid, inorganic portion of the Earth's system is known as the ________

answer

lithosphere

question

The size of the Universe is best described as

answer

vast beyond comprehension

question

A nebula is

answer

a cloud of gas and dust

question

The surfaces of the inner planets of our solar system seem to be composed of

answer

mineral matter

question

The Milky Way is one of over _________ galaxies in the Universe

answer

many billions

question

After it was part of a nebula and before it was the Sun, our Sun was a

answer

protostar

question

Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain on Earth and its altitude is closest to ______ meters

answer

9,000

question

The best description of the actual shape of the Earth is as a(n)

answer

oblate spheroid

question

The Earth is one of ______ planets in our solar system

answer

8

question

The Earth rotates about its

answer

axis

question

Which of the following is NOT defined by latitude? A) parallel B) Arctic Circle C) Antarctic Circle D) North Pole E) meridian

answer

E) Meridian

question

Which of the following distances is CLOSEST to the actual distance associated with one degree of latitude?

answer

100 km

question

Which of the following best describes the latitude and longitude of North America?

answer

Northern and Western Hemispheres

question

Suppose you are standing on the standard time meridian of 75 degrees West. Which would be the next standard time meridian west?

answer

90 degrees west

question

Which of the below takes the LONGEST time?

answer

a revolution of the Earth

question

The angular inclination of the Earth's axis with respect to a line perpendicular to the Plane of the Ecliptic

answer

is 23.5 degrees

question

At the June solstice, day length varies from _____ hours at the Equator to _____ hours at the North Pole.

answer

12, 24

question

The perihelion is during the month of

answer

January

question

Which of the following subsystems includes all living things on Earth?

answer

biosphere

question

Pluto is now classified as a

answer

dwarf planet

question

The Earth's polar and equatorial diameters vary by _____ percent.

answer

.3

question

The line connecting the points of maximum flattening on Earth's surface is called the

answer

axis

question

Which of the following is also an entire great circle?

answer

the Equator

question

In angular measurement, a minute contains _______ seconds.

answer

60

question

At the equator, one degree of latitude is approximately equal to

answer

one degree of longitude

question

The "natural" baseline which serves as a baseline to measure longitude (such as the Equator, which is used as a baseline for latitude) _______.

answer

does not exist

question

The term "a.m."

answer

means "before solar noon"

question

Any standard time zone extends ______ degrees of latitude to the east and west of the central meridian.

answer

7.5

question

Rotation of the Earth causes _________. A) tides B) Coriolis effect C) local variations in temperature D) day and night E) all of the above

answer

E) all of the above

question

An equinox has the property of

answer

12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night at all latitudes.

question

When the vertical rays of the Sun cross the Equator on their way northward, the date is known as _______ in the northern Hemisphere.

answer

the vernal equinox

question

Which of the following is a topic of study in a physical geography course? A) land forms B) soil C) climate D) flora E) all of the above

answer

E) all of the above

question

Geography is

answer

a combination of physical and social sciences

question

Earth is

answer

one of the inner planets

question

The Universe is thought to be on the order of _______ billion years old.

answer

13.7

question

Our earthly grid system is also referred to as a ________ and consists of lines of latitude and longitude.

answer

graticule

question

Which of the following is not contained within Earth's system of latitude and longitude? A) longitude of 5 W B) longitude of 185 E C) latitude of 0 D) longitude of 165 W E) latitude of 36 N

answer

B) longitude of 185 E

question

The cause of Earth's seasons is the

answer

polarity of the axis

question

In New York City, this is the shortest day of the year and the Sun is also lowest in the sky.

answer

December solstice

question

At times, latitude higher than _____ degrees can have 24 hours or more of continuous darkness.

answer

66.5

question

The Plane of the Ecliptic is

answer

at an angle from the plane of the Equator

question

Using gnomon, one can

answer

tell local time

question

The shape of the Milky Way is similar to a(n)

answer

spiral-shaped disk

question

The amount of time the Earth takes to revolve around the Sun is most properly known as a(n)

answer

tropical year

question

_________ is considered a dwarf planet

answer

Pluto

question

________ is the deepest spot in the ocean.

answer

The Mariana Trench

question

To Earth people, Polaris is an important star because it

answer

is a guide for navigation

question

The graticule of the Earth is also known as __________

answer

latitude and longitude.

question

The __________ is a basic unit of distance in the Systeme International (metric system).

answer

meter

question

One can tell when it is solar noon by observing

answer

the length of shadows

question

What happened between 4.5 and 5 billion years ago?

answer

The beginning of our solar system occurred.

question

The ________ is a basic Systeme International (metric system) unit of mass.

answer

gram

question

The word geography comes from the Greek meaning

answer

Earth description

question

Which of the following is not a major topic taught in a course of introductory physical geography? A) climate B) flora C) soil D) landforms E) population

answer

E) population

question

The shape of Earth's orbit around the Sun is a(n)

answer

ellipse

question

The ________ is the name of the orbital plane on which the Earth revolves.

answer

Ecliptic

question

Pluto's orbit is in the

answer

Kuiper belt

question

The ______ equinox of the Southern Hemisphere takes place when the vertical rays of the Sun cross the Equator on the journey southward.

answer

vernal

question

The "living zone" in the atmosphere extends from Earth's surface to an altitude of approximately _______ kilometers.

answer

5

question

The origin of the Universe is incompletely understood and is called __________

answer

the "Big Bang"

question

Earth rotates around its rotational axis. A plane at a right angle to and bisecting Earth's axis is known as the _________

answer

plane of the Equator

question

Earth revolves around the North Star. True or False.

answer

False

question

The North Star is also known as Polaris. True or False.

answer

True

question

Almost all countries in the world base their time on UTC. True or False.

answer

True

question

The circle of illumination divides the Earth into a light and a dark hemisphere. True or False.

answer

True

question

The Prime Meridian was adopted as a result of an international conference in 1884. True or False

answer

True

question

The Plane of the Ecliptic is the same thing as the perihelion. True or False.

answer

False

question

The Equator is an example of a great circle in the geographic grid. True or False.

answer

True

question

The vertical rays of the Sun take one year to travel from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn and return to the Tropic of Cancer. True or False.

answer

True

question

The northern hemisphere's vernal equinox occurs on September 23. True or False.

answer

False

question

The Tropic of Cancer is an example of a great circle. True or False.

answer

False

question

The Plane of the Ecliptic and plane of the Equator are the same plane. True or False.

answer

False

question

The Earth's circumference is close to 40,000 kilometers. True or False.

answer

True

question

In the Northern Hemisphere the longest day of the year is at the vernal equinox. True or False.

answer

False

question

The shortest distance between the Earth and Sun during the year is approximately 147 million kilometers. True or False

answer

True

question

The northern hemisphere's shortest day of the year is at the autumnal equinox. True or False.

answer

False

question

At the Equator, the Sun's rays at noon strike the Earth at the angle of 90 degrees above the horizon twice each year. True or False.

answer

True

question

On December 22, all areas inside the Antarctic Circle are in daylight for a full 24 hours. T or F

answer

True

question

The Earth year's length of 365.25 days is known as the perihelion. T or F

answer

False

question

At the North Pole, the speed of rotation of the Earth is 0 kilometers per hours. T or F

answer

True

question

Larger angles of solar incidence concentrate solar energy in smaller areas of Earth's surface. T or F

answer

True

question

The International Date Line and the 180th meridian are the same line. T or F

answer

False

question

At one time, several nations had their own separate prime meridians. T or F

answer

True

question

There are 24 minutes for each degree of latitude. T or F

answer

False

question

There is a parallel or meridian for every degree, minute, and second on the globe. T or F

answer

True

question

The International Date Line follows the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. T or F

answer

False

question

Earth years are based on the rotation of the moon around the Earth. T or F

answer

False

question

The Sun and Moon are the astronomical bodies exerting the most gravitational influence on the Earth. T or F

answer

True

question

One rotation of the Earth takes approximately 24 hours to complete. T or F

answer

True

question

The vertical distance between Earth's highest mountain and the deepest ocean trench is close to 20 kilometers. T or F

answer

True

question

The Earth has the shape of a true sphere. T or F

answer

False

question

The circle of illumination is a small circle. T or F

answer

False

question

Magellan's expedition -- the first to go around the world -- found that their log was incorrect by one day. This was because the world had yet to adopt the International Date Line. T or F

answer

True

question

On the globe, meridians cross all parallels perpendicularly. T or F

answer

True

question

Previous to the 1880s, the U.S. had more than 20 time zones. T or F

answer

True

question

Time zones are universally divided into zones of 24 degrees longitude. T or F

answer

False

question

The lowest point of the sea bottom is approximately 11,000 meters below sea level. T or F

answer

True

question

The International Date Line is in the middle of a time zone. T or F

answer

True

question

Russia occupies 3 time zones. T or F

answer

False

question

In the Northern Hemisphere, days become continuously shorter after March 22. T or F

answer

False

question

The Prime Meridian is, by design, shorter than other meridians. T or F

answer

False

question

The adoption of Daylight Savings Time would be of little value for most nations in the tropics. T or F

answer

True

question

The apparent motion of the Sun, moon, and stars is actually an illusion created by the easterly spin of the Earth. T or F

answer

True

question

The plane of the Equator and the Plane of the Ecliptic are the same plane. T or F

answer

False

question

The planets in our solar system rotate from east to west. T or F

answer

False

question

The atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere are considered to be discrete and independent subsystems of the Earth. T or F

answer

False

question

The Sun makes up more than 99 percent of the mass of our solar system. T or F

answer

True

question

The Mariana Trench of the Pacific Ocean is the deepest depth of the ocean. T or F

answer

True

question

Of seconds, degrees, and minutes of latitude, minutes are associated with the shortest distances. T or F

answer

False

question

When one crosses the Prime Meridian, the time zone does not change. T or F

answer

True

question

Our solar system is known as the Milky Way. T or F

answer

False

question

The vertical rays of the Sun are present at the Arctic Circle during the June solstice. T or F

answer

False

question

The vertical rays of the Sun migrate between 23.5 degrees N and 23.5 degrees S. T or F

answer

True

question

The Coriolis effect deflects wind and water currents. T or F

answer

True

question

One rotation of the Earth approximates 24 hours. T or F

answer

True

question

The best scientific guess is that there are a few hundred suns in our galaxy. T or F

answer

False

question

A great circle route is always the shortest distance between two points on the surface of the Earth. T or F

answer

True

question

The International Date Line is not strictly a line of longitude because it has been constructed to avoid land. T or F

answer

True

question

The "geosphere" is NOT one of the four environmental spheres. T or F

answer

True

question

Most of Earth's land surface is classified as "habitable". T or F

answer

True

question

The planets in our solar system formed from a cold, rotating disk of gas and dust surrounding the Sun. T or F

answer

True

question

The fact that the Earth is round has been known for more than 2,000 years. T or F

answer

True

question

Earth's axis is tilted ______ degrees from a line perpendicular to the Plane of the Ecliptic.

answer

23.5

question

He was first to correctly calculate the circumferences of the Earth: _____________

answer

Eratostenes

question

In the Northern Hemisphere in July, day lengths are progressively ________ as one travels northward.

answer

Longer

question

The _____________________ points at the star Polaris.

answer

North Pole or Earth's axis

question

If the axis of the Earth was not tilted, Earth would not experience __________.

answer

seasons

question

_____________ is a country which has adopted permanent Daylight Savings Time, with double Daylight Saving Time in the summer.

answer

Russia

question

The network of intersecting parallels and meridians over the entire Earth is known as the _________________

answer

geographic grid or graticule

question

Science understands the solar system to be on the order of _________________ billion years old.

answer

4.5 to 5

question

If you walked along a meridian, in what direction(s) would you be walking?

answer

North or South

question

If you walked along a parallel, in what direction(s) would you be walking?

answer

East or West

question

The two major branches of geography are cultural geography and _______ geography.

answer

physical

question

The ___________ is the environmental sphere that encompasses water in all its forms and locations.

answer

hydrosphere

question

The textbook asserts that human activities have accelerated global change. T or F

answer

True

question

Global environmental change seems to be all natural. T or F

answer

False

question

The South Pole is nearest the Sun during the ______.

answer

December Solstice

question

If Earth rotated at one-half its current rotational speed, which would be true?

answer

Days would be exactly 48 hours

question

Lines of longitude have the greatest distance between each other at which of the following locations?

answer

Equator

question

If the time is 12:00 A.M. in Greenwich, England, what time is it in New York City, NY (EST)?

answer

7:00 P.M.

question

The Sun's heating ability over Earth gets stronger when

answer

the Sun's rays strike Earth perpendicularly (at a 90 degree angle)

question

If you fly west from Australia to the U.S., departing on April 1, what day is it when you arrive in the U.S.?

answer

April 1

question

Northern Hemisphere summer solstice is experienced on June 21. On this date, at solar noon, the Sun is directly overhead at the

answer

Tropic of Cancer

question

The speed of rotation of Earth's surface is highest at the

answer

Equator

question

The solid, inorganic portion of Earth is represented by the

answer

Lithosphere

question

A map scale which says "1 in. = 21 mi" is a

answer

verbal map scale

question

_______ are automated systems for the capture, storage, retrieval, analysis, and display of spatially referenced data.

answer

Geographic Information systems

question

Radar systems use radio waves as a means for remote sensing. Radio waves are shorter than which of these waves in the electromagnetic spectrum? Microwaves, X-rays, visible waves, Infrared waves, radio waves

answer

Radio waves are the longest waves

question

Isoline is a generic term that refers to lines joining places of equal value or something. Isolines joining places of equal elevation are known as

answer

contour lines

question

Map projections that preserve the correct shapes of places and compromise area are known as

answer

conformal

question

Globes are less frequently used than maps except for classroom purposes. This is because globes

answer

are cumbersom

question

Which of the following is not an example of remote sensing system? A) Satellites B) Radar C) Global positioning system D) Aerial photography E) Lambert-conformal maps

answer

E) Lambert-Conformal maps

question

The map legend tells you

answer

how to interpret the map

question

Maps nearly always have a special purpose. (Fig 2-2b) This purpose is to

answer

show the distribution of selected phenomena.

question

The global positioning system (GPS)

answer

uses satellite measurements to provide navigation on Earth's surface

question

The main surface currents in the major ocean basins assist in the heat transfer around the world by moving

answer

cool water from the poles to the tropics

question

An example of climate (versus weather) for a given area is

answer

the average rainfall in April is 15 inches

question

Temperature decreases with increasing elevation in which thermal atmospheric layers? (Fig 3-5)

answer

Troposphere and mesosphere

question

_________ is the most plentiful variable gas in the atmosphere. However, it varies in location, not in time.

answer

Water vapor

question

Oxygen accounts for what proportion of the volume of gases in the atmosphere?

answer

21%

question

If a wind of 55mph were subjected to a Coriolis force that is double what exists on Earth, what would its new speed be?

answer

55mph

question

The aurora borealis typically occurs in

answer

the ionosphere

question

Which of the following is an example of a secondary pollutant? A) carbon monoxide B) carbon dioxide C) particulates D) smog E) CFCs

answer

D) Smog

question

Ozone is depleted by CFCs. What is the primary atom in the CFC molecule that is responsible for ozone depletion?

answer

Chlorine

question

Los Angeles, California and Dallas, Texas have vastly different climates, despite existing at the same latitude. What causes the climate difference?

answer

Dallas is continental; Los Angeles is maritime.

question

In the first 11 miles above Earth's surface, air temperature generally ______ with increasing elevation.

answer

decreases

question

The west wind drift forms as a results of

answer

fewer landmasses near the poles of the Southern Hemisphere.

question

Even though no heat is taken in from an external source, adiabatic warming involves warming by compression in _______ air.

answer

sinking

question

_________heat is required when water is converted into ice.

answer

Latent heat of freezing

question

Incoming solar energy is redirected by particulate matter and gas molecules in the atmosphere, therefore lost to Earth through what process?

answer

Scattering

question

The main source of energy for Earth's atmosphere is heat from

answer

solar insulation (Sun)

question

The world's largest annual temperature range typically occurs in the interior of what latitudes?

answer

High

question

Which of these geographic regions would be characterized by a high albedo?

answer

The Arctic

question

Which of the following could NOT be a cause for land warming faster than water? A) water has lower sensible heat B) water has higher sensible heat C) water has more evaporative cooling D) water is in constant motion E) water has limited transmission

answer

Water has lower sensible heat

question

Which phrase best describes global warming?

answer

The greenhouse effect is increasing

question

The force exerted by gas molecules on some area of Earth's surface or any other body is called what?

answer

Atmospheric pressure

question

Lines drawn on maps joining areas of equal atmospheric pressure are called what?

answer

Isobars

question

Due to Coriolis force, freely moving objects in the Northern Hemisphere appear to be deflected to

answer

the right

question

The air that descends and spirals out of the subtropical high pressure belt is the source of

answer

trade winds and the westerlies

question

A sea breeze is experienced

answer

during the day

question

The semi-permanent area of high pressure over the poles of Earth is an example of

answer

a thermal high

question

An El Niño is observed as

answer

a warming of eastern equatorial Pacific waters

question

Waves in the jet stream pattern are called

answer

Rossby waves

question

Which type of wind is an example of a katabatic wind?

answer

Bora

question

Air which has decreased in density and temperature will

answer

have a lower air pressure

question

The continuous interchange of our planet's water supply between Earth and the atmosphere is called what?

answer

the hydrologic cycle

question

The condition of the atmosphere when it contains as much water as it can hold at a given temperature (state of total wetness) is known as

answer

saturation

question

There is an inverse relationship between temperature and relative humidity such that relative humidity tends to

answer

be lowest in the afternoon and highest just before dawn

question

When atmospheric lifting results from the meeting of two air masses of different physical properties (moisture and temperature), the resulting form of precipitation is ________ rainfall.

answer

frontal

question

The most conspicuous feature of the worldwide annual precipitation pattern is that the _______ contain the wettest areas of Earth.

answer

tropical latitudes

question

Which humidity measure shows how near, in terms of percentage, an air mass is to saturation?

answer

relative humidity

question

What property of water makes it "sticky"?

answer

Hydrogen bonding

question

Condensation is not sufficient to explain large drop growth in warm clouds. What is the primary process responsible for this?

answer

Collision and coalescense

question

Which of the following pH values is characteristic of acid rain?

answer

4.5 (typical rainfall pH 5-5.5, lower than 5 is an indication of acid rain)

question

In order to grow hail in a cloud, the cloud must have

answer

strong updrafts

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