The layers inside the Earth

Grade 6 Science Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   Bo compares two layers. Which is hotter: the mantle or the inner core?

   • Both the same, since deep rock heats up evenly everywhere
   • The inner core, since heat rises with depth
   • The mantle, since it is made of lava
   • The mantle, since it is closer to the Sun
2. 2.

   USGS says the core is nearly twice as dense as the mantle. Which reason does Esme give?

   • It is a liquid ocean of heavy lava
   • It is iron and nickel metal under great pressure
   • A drill sample from the core was weighed
   • It is cooler down there, so it packs together tighter
3. 3.

   Temperature, pressure, density. Temperature, pressure and density all change as you go deeper. Which pattern does Jun find in the USGS notes?

   • They peak in the mantle, then fall
   • All three increase with depth
   • All three decrease with depth
   • Only temperature increases with depth

4. Read this first

   Use this

   Cross-section, not to scale:

5. 4.

   Luz reads that the crust under the open Pacific Ocean floor, far from any island, is only about 5 km thick. What does that show?

   • The crust is the thickest layer anyway
   • Ocean crust is thicker than the crust under continents
   • The Pacific floor sits right on top of the core
   • Ocean crust is much thinner than continental crust
6. 5.

   Earth's plates are made of the crust plus the stiff top of the mantle. What is that rigid layer called, in Milo's notes?

   • The outer core
   • The inner core
   • The asthenosphere
   • The lithosphere
7. 6.

   USGS compares the Earth to a boiled egg. In that model, which part of the egg stands for the crust, by Noah's matching?

   • The white
   • The thin shell
   • The whole egg, since the crust is thick
   • The yolk
8. 7.

   Drawing of a boiled egg cut in half beside a cutaway of the Earth, not to scale. USGS says the core is unlike an egg yolk in one way. Which difference does Pia find?

   • The core is made of stone, just like the mantle is
   • The core has two parts, one liquid and one solid
   • The core is the thinnest layer
   • The core is cooler than the mantle
9. 8.

   In the egg model, the egg white stands for the mantle. In which way is the white a good match, says Ren?

   • It is the thinnest part
   • It is a thick layer between the shell and the yolk
   • It is the hottest part
   • It is runny and liquid, the way a lava ocean would be
11. 9.

    On the same ball model, 1 cm stands for about 1,000 km. About how thick should Zee make the 2,900 km mantle?

    • About 0.29 cm
    • About 0.3 mm
    • About 29 cm
    • About 2.9 cm
12. 10.

    The deepest hole ever drilled is about 12 km (USGS). On the ball model, where 1 cm stands for about 1,000 km, how deep does Ari draw it?

    Use the picture in question 9.

    • About 1.2 cm, well into the mantle
    • Down to the core
    • About 12 cm, nearly across the whole ball
    • About 0.12 mm, not even through the crust