Weathering and Erosion Quiz

Grade 5 · Science · Quiz

Test your knowledge of how rocks break down and how landscapes are shaped over time.

Questions

Which agent is responsible for carving the Grand Canyon?
1. Wind
2. Glaciers
3. The Colorado River
4. Frost wedging
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Answer: The Colorado River
The Colorado River has been cutting through rock for 5-6 million years, carving the Grand Canyon over 1 mile deep through erosion and the abrasive load of sediment it carries.
Chemical weathering changes the chemical composition of rocks.
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Answer: True
Chemical weathering involves actual chemical reactions that break down rock minerals and form new substances, unlike physical weathering which just breaks rocks into smaller pieces.
The dropping of sediment when an erosion agent slows down is called ___.
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Answer: deposition
Deposition occurs when an erosion agent (river, glacier, wind) loses energy, can no longer carry sediment, and drops it. River deltas and beaches are classic deposition landforms.
When a rock's iron minerals react with oxygen and water, this is an example of:
1. Frost wedging
2. Abrasion
3. Oxidation (chemical weathering)
4. Erosion
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Answer: Oxidation (chemical weathering)
Oxidation is a chemical weathering process where iron in rocks reacts with oxygen and water to form iron oxide (rust) — the same process that makes iron nails turn red and crumble.
Plant roots growing into rock cracks cause chemical weathering.
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Answer: False
Plant roots prying apart rocks is physical (mechanical) weathering — the rock's chemical composition doesn't change; it just gets cracked and broken into pieces.
Which of the following is an example of deposition?
1. Water carrying sand downstream
2. A river delta building up at a river's mouth
3. Wind picking up dust
4. Ice cracking a boulder
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Answer: A river delta building up at a river's mouth
A river delta forms where a river meets the ocean and slows dramatically, depositing the sediment it carried. The Mississippi River Delta is a classic example.
Rocks scratching and grinding against each other in a riverbed is called ___.
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Answer: abrasion
Abrasion smooths and rounds rocks as they tumble in rivers — that's why river rocks are rounded rather than jagged. Wind abrasion sculpts desert rock formations.
What happens to rocks when they are physically weathered?
1. They change into new minerals
2. They break into smaller pieces of the same material
3. They dissolve completely
4. They become harder
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Answer: They break into smaller pieces of the same material
Physical weathering only changes the size and shape of rocks — not their chemical makeup. Physically weathered granite is still granite, just in smaller pieces.
Wind erosion is most common in wet, forested regions.
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Answer: False
Wind erosion is most powerful in dry regions like deserts where little vegetation covers the soil. Plant roots and leaves protect soil surfaces from wind in wetter areas.
In what type of climate would frost wedging be most effective?
1. Hot desert with no rain
2. Wet tropical rainforest
3. Climate with many freeze-thaw cycles
4. Permanently frozen tundra
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Answer: Climate with many freeze-thaw cycles
Frost wedging requires water to freeze and thaw repeatedly. Climates like high mountain ranges and northern regions with temperatures that cycle above and below freezing are ideal.

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