Eureka Questions

Earth Science

Physics

Chemistry

Eureka! Questions• What are the Eureka! questions?

– These are a set of questions designed to review material you already should have learned in science

• What is the purpose of these questions?– To prepare all students for the Science section

of the NJ ASK 8, a standardized test you take in the 8th grade

Eureka Question 1Name the layers of the Earth from the outside in toward the center. Please also draw and label a diagram of the layers.

Answer: Crust

MantleOuter CoreInner Core

Layers of the Earth

Eureka Question 2

What percentage (%) of

the Earth is covered by water?

Answer:

approximately 70-75%

Eureka Question 3

Why are oceans salty?

Answer:

•Runoff from minerals on land

•Decaying sea life

Eureka Question 4

What causes earthquakes earthquakes (include a diagram with (include a diagram with

your description to your description to illustrate)illustrate)?

Answer:•Stress builds up in the Earth’s crust due to the

tectonic plates pushing on one another. •Sometimes this results in a shifting of the crust.

Diagram

Eureka Question 5

What causes volcanoes to volcanoes to form (draw a diagram to form (draw a diagram to

illustrate)illustrate)?

Answer:

• Molten (melted) material from inside the Earth escapes out an opening in the Earth’s crust.

• As time passes, new layers cool and harden on top of old layers, forming a conical shape.

Diagram

Eureka Question 6

How are igneous rocks formed?

Answer:

• Magma (molten rock) under the Earth’s crust cools and solidifies directly in the crust or reaches the Earth’s surface (now lava) and then cools and solidifies

Eureka Question 7

How are sedimentary rocks formed?

Answer:

• Layers of rock fragments, soil and minerals get pressed together

• Usually underwater

Eureka Question 8

How are metamorphic rocks

formed?

Answer:

•Igneous and sedimentary rocks that have been changed due to high pressure and temperature

Eureka Question 9

What is weathering? How is it caused?

Why is it important?

(Hint: 3 part answer)

Answer:• Weathering is….

– the breaking down of rock into smaller pieces.– Mechanical

• caused by water getting into cracks, freezing and expanding.

• also caused by plants breaking up rocks.

– Chemical• Caused by rain stripping minerals from rocks

– important b/c it results in the formation of soil.

Eureka Question 10

What is erosion?

What are the 3 main forces of erosion on Earth?

Answer:• the moving of rock and soil

that has been weathered• the changing of the Earth’s

surface by this movement

• 3 main forces are…–wind, water, glaciers