1. Weathering and Soil Formation
Chapter 2 Review
Weathering and Soil Formation

2. 1.) Contour plowing is a practice that involves
disturbing the plant cover as little as possible.
b. plowing fields along the curves of a slope.
c. creating a dust bowl on one part of the farm.
d. plowing only along fence lines.

3. 2.) The loose, weathered material on Earth’s surface is called
humus.
litter.
soil.
rust.

4. 3.)The rate of weathering depends on the type of rock and on the
type of soil.
loam.
climate.
type of humus.

5. 4.) What is the name of the top layer of soil?
a. humus b. top soil c. rocky road d. roots

6. 5.) The grinding away of rock by other rock particles carried by wind, water, or ice called
chemical weathering.
drought.
abrasion.
bedrock.

7. 6.) The middle layer of soil is called what?
a. humus b. top soil c. subsoil d. dust bowl

8. 7.) Which of the following is NOT true about plant roots?
They pry apart cracks in rocks.
They cause oxidation of the soil.
They hold soil in place.
They produce weak acids that dissolve rocks.

9. 8 .)The process that breaks down rocks and other materials at Earth’s surface is called
weathering.
erosion.
soil conservation.
decomposition.

10. 9 .)Fungi, protists, bacteria, and worms are the main soil
weatherers.
litter.
materials.
decomposers.

11. 10 .)Which is the most common way that plants cause mechanical weathering?
a. They talk to the rock until it cracks up.
As the roots grow they push against the rock and cause it to crack.
The rock discharges some of it’s chemicals that cause the rock to crack.
The plant is exposed to the air which makes the crack in the rock larger.

12. 11.) The movement of rock particles by wind, water, ice, or gravity is called
erosion.
weathering.
abrasion.
drought.

13. 12.)What did George Washington Carver teach farmers in the South in the early 1930‘s
Ways to chemically weather rocks.
Methods of soil conservation.
Ways to end the Dust Bowl.
Methods for making soil less fertile.

14. 13.) What is the A horizon?
Top soil, crumbly, dark brown soil and clay
Leaves, dead animals and plant parts
Mostly clay and humus
d. Weathered rock

15. 14.) What kind of soil is best for growing plants?
loam
clay soil
humus
sand soil

16. 15.) When a material contains air spaces that allow water to seep through, it is said to be
a. perfumed b. powdery c. prickly d. permeable

17. 16.) Decayed organic material in soil is called
a. meat loaf b. peat moss c. humus d. top soil

18. 17.) When _____ becomes dissolved in rain water and sinks into the soil, the result is an acid that can weather marble.
a. oxygen b. carbon dioxide c. acid rain d. pollution

19. 18 .) The soil loss on the southern Great Plains in the 1930‘s caused the area to be called the
a. Dust Bowl
Super Bowl
Mighty Bowl
d. Georgia Line

20. 19.) An area’s ______ and plant life help to determine what type of soil forms.
a. soil b. weather c. water d. climate

21. 2 0 .) The most important agent of chemical weathering is abrasion.
True
False

22. 21.) The plant roots that force cracks in the rocks farther apart are an agent of mechanical weathering.
True
False

23. 22.) The gas that causes rock containing iron to oxidize is carbon dioxide.
True
False

24. 23.) Freezing and thawing are an example of chemical weathering.
True
b. False

25. 25.) Acid rain causes very rapid mechanical weathering.
True
False

26. Good Luck on the
Chapter 2 Test!