Chapter 1 Quiz

1. The 0° Meridian is the same line as the ________.
  International Date Line 
  Prime Meridian 
  equator 
  geographic grid 
  perihelion 
 
2.  The first nearly correct measurement of the Earth’s circumference was made ________.
  by satellite 
  about 2,200 years ago 
  by Italian scholars during the Renaissance 
  by the first humans 
  by Columbus 

3. The United States spans ________ time zones.
  12 
  24 
  36 
  3 
  6 
 

4. The perihelion is during the month of ________.
  January 
  September 
  December 
  July 
  March 
 

5.  This figure shows the position of Earth relative to the sun during solstices and equinoxes, during the orbit of Earth around the Sun.

This figure shows that the most fundamental cause of the annual march of seasons is that ________.
  the orientation of the North Pole changes with respect to the sun 
  the yearly solar energy totals vary by hemisphere 
  December has the shortest day lengths in the Southern Hemisphere 
  the northern end of Earth’s axis is oriented towards the sun all year
  March has the longest day lengths in the Northern Hemisphere 
 

6.  Earth systems resist change but there are times when the system can change abruptly or become unstable. This is known as a ________.
  tipping point 
  equilibrium condition 
  quantum moment 
  human mistake 
  negative feedback loop 
 

7. The ________ is the environmental sphere that encompasses water in all its forms and locations.
  atmosphere 
  hydrosphere 
  geosphere 
  biosphere 
  lithosphere 
 

8.  The elements of geography can be grouped into two categories ________.
  human geography and physical geography 
  weather and climate and geology 
  plants and animals 
  landform geography and political geography 
  economic activities and physical geography 
 

9. In the Northern Hemisphere in July, day lengths are ________ as one travels from the equator to the North Pole.
  the shortest of the year 
  progressively longer 
  the longest of the year 
  unchanged 
  progressively shorter 
 

10. The Earth cut in half through the poles, and cut it half at the Equator.  The polar and equatorial diameters are different in size.  

This figure shows that Earth is ________.
  round 
  an ellipsoid 
  an oblate spheroid 
  solid in its middle 
  flat 
 

11.  Which of the following statements is out of order in the ideal application of the scientific method?
  Observe the outcome of an experiment. 
  Design an experiment. 
  Make a hypothesis. 
  Observe a phenomenon that stimulates a question. 
  Formulate a rule. 
 

12. If the axis of the Earth were not tilted, Earth would not experience ________.
  aphelions 
  day/night variations 
  seasons 
  rotation 
  perihelions 
 

13. The world is divided into ________ standard time zones.
  24 
  360 
  11 
  180 
  15 
 

14. Which of the following best describes the latitude and longitude of North America?
  Northern and western hemispheres 
  Northern and eastern hemispheres 
  Eastern and southern hemispheres 
  Northern and southern hemispheres 
  Eastern and western hemispheres 
 

15. Which of the following would NOT be a major topic taught in a course of introductory physical geography?
  Landforms 
  Climate 
  Population 
  Plants 
  Soil 
 

16. The fact that at any time during the year, the Earth’s axis is parallel to its orientation at all other times is called its parallelism, or ________.
  aphelion 
  perihelion 
  revolution 
  polarity 
  rotation 
 
17. Geography is ________.
  much the same as geology 
  a physical science 
  a social science 
  a combination of physical and social sciences 
  an art, not a science 
 

18. The geographic grid line 180 degrees of longitude from the Prime Meridian is the ________.
  90th meridian 
  Tropic of Capricorn 
  320th meridian 
  Tropic of Cancer 
  180th meridian 
 

19. The International Date Line ________.
  is the “baseline” for all time measurements
  passes through the United States 
  is the same line as 180 degrees latitude 
  is drawn to avoid countries 
  is an important line of latitude 
 

20.  The solid, inorganic portion of the Earth system is known as the ________.
  hydrosphere 
  lithosphere 
  biosphere 
  atmosphere 
  Earth 
 

21. This figure shows a view of Earth from above the North Pole with meridians labeled.

This figure shows a view of Earth from above the North Pole with meridians labeled. Meridians are also known as ________.
  axes 
  lines of longitude 
  parallels 
  diverging parallels 
  planes of the ecliptic 
 

22.  The Earth-Sun aphelion occurs once per year during the month of ________.
  December 
  September 
  January 
  March 
  July 
 

23  The highest numbered latitude used in the geographic grid is ________.
  180° 
  90° 
  100° 
  45° 
  360º 
 

24. How many degrees of latitude are there between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn?
  23.5 
  180 
  0 
  90 
  47 
 

25.  “Greenwich Mean Time” is also known as ________.
  European time 
  the plane of the ecliptic 
  Universal Time Coordinated 
  Polaris 
  the perihelion 

Chapter 1 Quiz Answers

1. The 0° Meridian is the same line as the ________.
  International Date Line 
  Prime Meridian 
  equator 
  geographic grid 
  perihelion 
 

Answer:   Prime Meridian