How water's properties change rock and land

Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Card (USGS)

   Ice is about 9% less dense than liquid water. The same mass of water takes about 10% more space as ice, since 1 ÷ 0.91 is about 1.10.

2. 1.

   A crack holds 100 mL of water. It freezes. Using the card, how much space does Ari's ice need?

   • About 91 mL, found as 100 × 0.91
   • About 190 mL, found as 100 × 1.90
   • About 110 mL, found as 100 × 1.10
   • About 100 mL, the same space as the water
3. 2.

   Water in a rock crack freezes and the rock splits wider. Bo asks why. Which explanation fits USGS?

   • The water expands as it freezes and pushes the crack wider
   • The ice dissolves the rock walls as it forms
   • The water shrinks as it freezes and pulls the crack apart
   • The cold makes the rock expand until it splits by itself
4. 3.

   Rain takes up carbon dioxide from the air and the soil. Limestone is made of calcite. Rain picks up carbon dioxide from air and soil. What forms, and what does it do to limestone, by Jun's reading?

   • Salty water forms and wears limestone as it dries
   • Carbon dioxide gas forms and hardens the limestone
   • Weak carbonic acid forms and slowly dissolves calcite
   • Strong sulfuric acid forms and melts limestone at once
5. 4.

   Solution caves form along joints, faults and layers in rock that dissolves. Water moves through cracks. NPS says solution caves form along joints, faults and layers. Why does Kira find caves following cracks?

   • Cracks hold calcite that grows into stalactites
   • Cracks hold ice that melts the limestone away
   • Water moves through cracks and dissolves limestone along them
   • Cracks hold strong acid that burns tunnels in one day
6. 5.

   Drips that lose carbon dioxide deposit calcite on the cave ceiling and floor. Water drips from a cave ceiling and loses carbon dioxide, leaving calcite behind. What does Luz see build up?

   • A sinkhole opens above as the calcite is deposited
   • Stalactites hang down as calcite is deposited
   • The cave room gets wider as the calcite dissolves
   • Stalactites grow as the ceiling dissolves away

7. Use this

   Table, Stream speeds for particles (model data, rounded), with columns Particle, Speed to pick it up (cm/s), Speed below which it settles (cm/s): Clay, 100, 1; Sand, 20, 10; Gravel, 60, 40. Note: Numbers are made up to show the pattern of the Hjulstrom diagram; real values differ.

8. 6.

   A stream moves at 80 cm/s. Using the table, which particles can Milo's stream pick up?

   • Sand and gravel, but not clay
   • Clay, gravel and sand, since 80 cm/s is fast
   • Gravel alone, since it is the heaviest
   • Clay and sand, since small particles are easiest to lift
9. 7.

   A river carrying sand enters a calm lake and slows to 5 cm/s. Using the table, what happens to the sand for Noah?

   • It keeps moving, since it was carried upstream
   • It is lifted again, since slow water picks up sand
   • It dissolves in the lake water as it slows
   • It settles out, since sand settles below 10 cm/s
10. 8.

    In a river bend the water moves faster on the outside curve and slower on the inside curve. Water flows faster on the outside of a river bend and slower on the inside. Where does Pia find a sand bar?

    • On both sides equally, since the stream is the same
    • On the inside of the bend, where the water is slower
    • In the middle of the stream, where the water is deepest
    • On the outside of the bend, where the water is faster
11. 9.

    a rock cracks after 200 freeze-thaw cycles. Site B has 120 cycles a year. A rock cracks after 200 freeze-thaw cycles. Site B has 120 cycles a year. About how many years does Tala expect?

    • About 24,000 years, found as 200 × 120
    • About 80 years, found as 200 − 120
    • About 0.6 years, found as 120 ÷ 200
    • About 1.7 years, found as 200 ÷ 120
12. 10.

    Choices describe results in a stream table (model data). Zee wants a result that supports the claim that slowing water drops sediment. Which result fits?

    • Sand moved in a narrow channel, then stayed there as it narrowed
    • Sand stayed on the bed in fast water, then moved when it slowed
    • Gravel moved farther in slow water than in fast water
    • Sand moved in a narrow channel, then settled where it widened