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Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the geologic history of the Earth, including the major divisions of the geologic timescale, evidence for the age of the Earth, and the causes and consequences of key events (e.g., oxygenation of the atmosphere, mass extinctions, dominant life forms as a result of an event, periods of glaciation, changes in Earth's climate, tectonic plate movement).
- Apply knowledge of techniques used to determine the age of strata and fossils, including the use of the principles of stratigraphy (e.g., superposition, original horizontality, uniformitarianism), index fossils, and radiometric dating techniques.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the structure, composition, and properties of Earth's compositional and mechanical layers (e.g., mantle, asthenosphere, core), including the supporting evidence for these layers and the methods for gathering data on Earth's interior.
- Apply knowledge of the physical and chemical processes involved in the formation of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks within the rock cycle (e.g., crystallization, lithification, deposition) and the resulting differentiating properties of rocks (e.g., texture, composition, grain size) and minerals (e.g., hardness, specific gravity, melting point).
Sample Item:
Use the table below to answer the question that follows.
| Mineral |
Mohs' Scale Hardness |
| Talc |
1 |
| Gypsum |
2 |
| Calcite |
3 |
| Fluorite |
4 |
| Apatite |
5 |
| Feldspar |
6 |
| Quartz |
7 |
| Topaz |
8 |
| Corundum |
9 |
| Diamond |
10 |
A student is testing the hardness of many types of minerals. An unlabeled mineral sample is easily able to scratch apatite but cannot scratch quartz. Which of the following is a possible Mohs' scale of hardness rating for the mineral?
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. Minerals will be able to scratch other minerals that are softer and unable to scratch minerals that are harder. Apatite has a Mohs' hardness of 5 and quartz has a hardness of 7. The unlabeled sample must be softer than 7, but harder than 5 which means that the unknown mineral has a hardness of approximately 6 on the Mohs' scale.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of the processes driving the movement of tectonic plates (e.g., ridge push, slab pull, mantle convection), including the heat transfer mechanisms driving the motion of Earth's mantle (e.g., conduction, convection, radiation).
- Apply knowledge of plate interactions, including types and composition of tectonic plates, the structures and events that occur at plate boundaries (e.g., earthquakes, rifts, mountain building, subduction), and the matter cycling effects of plate interactions.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the lines of evidence for previous configurations of Earth's tectonic plates (e.g., fossils, mountains, glacial striations, magnetic field reversals, age of oceanic crust), including their impact on regional climate.
- Apply knowledge of the different types of volcanoes, including their structure, composition, location, and causes (e.g., subduction, hotspot).
- Demonstrate knowledge of earthquakes, including their causes, methods of energy propagation (e.g., p-waves, s-waves), and how the location is determined (e.g., triangulation, time-travel graphs).
Sample Item:
Primary waves, or p-waves, will have the greatest velocity when traveling through which of the following materials?
- mudstone
- glacial till
- dry sand
- basalt
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
D. Seismic waves can travel faster in denser material. Of the four choices, basalt has the greatest density with an average density of 2.9 g/cm3 2 point 9 grams per cubic centimeter .
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