Earth Science I SOL Practice Test — Set 3 of 6
Set 3 of 6 — 50 more free Earth Science I SOL practice questions from official VDOE released tests.
1. Glass is chemically related to what mineral?
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Answer: G — Quartz
2. Some extrusive igneous rocks, such as obsidian, are glassy because they —
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Answer: A — cool rapidly
3. A coarse-grained igneous rock contains a dark-colored mineral. This mineral is most likely —
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Answer: F — magnetite
4. The rock cycle includes weathering, erosion, deposition, compaction, cementation, heat, pressure, melting, and cooling. At which point in the cycle does sediment form?
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Answer: G — B
5. Sometimes metamorphic rock is found next to an igneous intrusion. What causes this?
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Answer: B — Surrounding rock was changed by contact with hot magma.
6. Some towns limit wood-burning stoves. What is the greatest environmental problem caused by their use?
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Answer: H — Air pollution from smoke.
7. Which are major mineral resources of Virginia?
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Answer: B — Coal, granite, limestone
8. Peat buried and compressed for long periods forms which type of coal?
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Answer: F — Anthracite
9. From the Piedmont province to the Coastal Plain, rivers drop sharply in elevation. This drop is known as the Fall Line. Which feature is commonly found there?
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Answer: F — Waterfalls and rapids
10. In which physiographic province would clay, sand, and gravel deposits most likely be found?
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Answer: D — Coastal Plain
11. A riverbank shows layered sediments of different particle sizes. These differences are most likely caused by differences in the —
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Answer: A — speed of the water carrying sediments
12. A delta forms where a river enters a larger body of water. From youngest to oldest, which sequence best describes delta formation?
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Answer: G — C–A–D–B
13. Which can result when underground water is heated by hot igneous rock?
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Answer: G — Geysers
14. Which geologic event occurred first?
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Answer: A — Formation of Pangaea
15. Primary (P) waves are recorded before secondary (S) waves because P waves —
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Answer: G — travel faster
16. Why do some soils have high porosity but low permeability?
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Answer: C — Many pores are too small for water to pass through.
17. Carbon dioxide dissolved in groundwater helps dissolve limestone because it —
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Answer: H — forms an acid that reacts with limestone
18. Scientists drilled core samples from the ocean floor. In core sample two, which layer is the youngest?
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Answer: D — Siltstone
19. Which aspect of a rock formation occurred earliest?
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Answer: J — Folding of layers
20. Which sequence shows igneous intrusions from earliest to most recent?
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Answer: J — Z, Y, X
21. Which land cover absorbs the most rainwater?
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Answer: A — Grassland
22. The surface of the sea is not level mainly due to —
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Answer: H — salinity differences
23. Which body of water has the greatest salinity?
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Answer: H — Mediterranean Sea
24. One characteristic of saltwater is that it has —
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Answer: B — a lower freezing point than freshwater
25. Which factor did not contribute to the decline of whales, dolphins, and porpoises?
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Answer: D — Greenhouse effect
26. London and Irkutsk are at similar latitudes, but London has a milder climate because —
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Answer: J — warm ocean currents affect London
27. As continents drifted from 180 million years ago to today, which major change occurred?
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Answer: C — Increase in number of trenches
28. Which human activity should be regulated because it lowers dissolved oxygen and makes it harder for marine life to breathe?
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Answer: F — Releasing heated wastewater into the ocean
29. A core sample alternates between glacial till and peat/soil layers. How many advances of ice are shown?
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Answer: B — Three
30. Diagrams show atmospheric composition changing as life evolved. Which is the correct order from earliest to most recent?
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Answer: J — 3, 2, 4, 1
31. Earth’s axis is tilted 23.5°. When the Southern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, the most direct sunlight is near the —
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Answer: D — Tropic of Capricorn
32. If material from Saturn would float in water while Earth’s material would sink, which statement is true?
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Answer: G — Saturn has a lower density than Earth.
33. Uranus’s axis lies nearly in the plane of its orbit. If one pole points toward the Sun, a point near that pole will —
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Answer: G — remain in daylight for one rotation
34. The Moon rotates once on its axis for each revolution around Earth. This causes —
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Answer: D — one side to always face Earth
35. Which star has completed its life cycle?
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Answer: A — Black dwarf
36. What powers stars?
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Answer: H — Fusion
37. How are stars distributed in space?
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Answer: D — In unevenly distributed clumps
38. Over many years, a pair of stars appears to move in curved paths around each other. This observation suggests that they —
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Answer: H — revolve around each other
39. Which of these instruments can be used to measure atmospheric pressure?
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Answer: B — A barometer
40. The highest and lowest tides are known as spring tides. When do these tides occur?
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Answer: A — During the new moon and full moon phases
41. The Moon has a stronger influence on Earth’s tides than the Sun because the Moon —
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Answer: C — is much closer to Earth
42. Remains of ancient life are most often preserved through which process?
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Answer: B — Burial in sediment
43. Environmental effects of the impact of a meteorite 66.4 million years ago may have led to the extinction of many species on Earth. Which evidence best supports this theory?
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Answer: B — Iridium found in meteorites is also present in rock layers that are 66.4 million years old.
44. A student hypothesizes that water from infrequently used school faucets contains more chemical impurities than water from frequently used faucets. At the same time of day, the student measures impurities using a water test kit. Which is the manipulated variable in this investigation?
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Answer: D — The locations of water collection
45. Which coordinates identify a location north of a city that has a latitude of 38.0°N and a longitude of 25.0°W?
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Answer: D — 47.0°N and 25.0°W
46. A graph titled Relationship Between Air Pressure and Altitude shows altitude on the x-axis (in meters, from 0 to 15,000 m) and air pressure on the y-axis (in kilopascals, from 0 to 120 kPa). The graph shows that air pressure decreases steadily as altitude increases. At approximately 6,000–7,500 meters, air pressure is closest to 40 kPa. At which range of altitude is air pressure closest to 40 kPa?
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Answer: B — Between 6.0 km and 7.5 km
47. Which was the first object made by humans to orbit Earth?
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Answer: B — Sputnik
48. Under which condition would a lowering of the water table most likely occur?
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Answer: A — Extended drought over the recharge zone
49. Spacecraft traveling from Earth to Jupiter would most likely have to navigate through or around which natural obstacle?
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Answer: C — Asteroid belt
50. A geologist studying volcanic activity collects rocks formed from hot, molten magma. What type of rock is being collected?
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Answer: D — Igneous
Earth Science I SOL practice test — FAQ
Are these Earth Science I SOL practice questions free?
Yes — this Earth Science I SOL practice test is completely free with no signup. Answer each question to check it instantly, or open "Show answer" to review.
How many Earth Science I SOL practice questions are there?
Across all sets, there are 306 Earth Science I practice questions drawn from official Virginia Department of Education released SOL tests. This set has 50.
Are these real Virginia SOL questions?
The questions are adapted from official VDOE released SOL tests for Earth Science I. SOL Prep is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Virginia Department of Education.
Practice items adapted from Virginia Department of Education released SOL tests. Practice items are provided for study purposes and are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Virginia Department of Education.