For each question below, choose the letter corresponding to the BEST answer.

1		Physical disintegration of rocks into smaller pieces is called: Need a Hint?
			A)	abrasion.
			B)	pedogenesis.
			C)	chemical weathering.
			D)	mechanical weathering
2		The decomposition of rock from exposure to water and atmospheric gases is known as: Need a Hint?
			A)	pedogenesis.
			B)	chemical weathering.
			C)	salt wedging.
			D)	mechanical weathering.
3		A mechanical weathering process caused by pressure release (or unloading) is: Need a Hint?
			A)	abrasion.
			B)	exfoliation.
			C)	hydrolysis.
			D)	salt wedging.
4		Where do sediments come from? Need a Hint?
			A)	I don’t know where sediment comes from.
			B)	Rock weathering produces sediment.
			C)	Sediments accumulated as dust fell to Earth from outer space.
			D)	There have always been sediments on Earth.
5		In which environment is frost wedging likely to be prevalent? Need a Hint?
			A)	polar areas
			B)	a desert
			C)	a high mountain
			D)	a tropical rain forest
6		Clay is a product of: Need a Hint?
			A)	oxidation.
			B)	rapid cooling of magma.
			C)	mechanical weathering.
			D)	chemical weathering
7		Oxidation occurs when: Need a Hint?
			A)	feldspars are chemically altered to clays.
			B)	water dissolves rocks.
			C)	rocks are exposed to the atmosphere.
			D)	rocks are deeply buried.
8		Which of the following is not a type of mechanical weathering? Need a Hint?
			A)	frost wedging
			B)	unloading
			C)	root wedging
			D)	All of these are types of mechanical weathering.
9		Exfoliation is a natural process which results from: Need a Hint?
			A)	unloading of deeply buried rocks.
			B)	thermal expansion of rocks.
			C)	chemical weathering of rocks.
			D)	activities of man.
10		The most common end product of the chemical weathering of quartz is: Need a Hint?
			A)	quartz does not weather chemically.
			B)	calcite.
			C)	pyroxene.
			D)	clay.
11		Soil with approximately equal proportions of sand, silt, and clay along with generous amounts of organic matter is called: Need a Hint?
			A)	podzol.
			B)	humus.
			C)	caliche.
			D)	loam.
12		Which of the following is characteristic of soil horizons? Need a Hint?
			A)	Boundaries between soil horizons are usually transitional rather than sharp.
			B)	They are classified by assigned letters.
			C)	They can be distinguished from one another by appearance and chemical composition.
			D)	all of the above
13		Aridisols: Need a Hint?
			A)	tend to be thin.
			B)	are characterized by little leaching, scant humus.
			C)	form in arid (dry) climates.
			D)	all of the above
14		The soil horizon rich in organic matter is the: Need a Hint?
			A)	O horizon
			B)	C horizon
			C)	B horizon
			D)	A horizon
15		Tropical soils are typically: Need a Hint?
			A)	good for agriculture.
			B)	deeply leached.
			C)	very fertile.
			D)	rich in organic material.
16		The single most effective agent of chemical weathering at the Earth's surface is: Need a Hint?
			A)	carbon dioxide.
			B)	hydrocholoric acid.
			C)	water.
			D)	carbonic acid.
17		A general term for the process whereby feldspar is weathered to clay is: Need a Hint?
			A)	mudification.
			B)	hydrolysis.
			C)	metamorphosis.
			D)	pedogenesis.
18		Which of the following minerals will weather most rapidly at Earth's surface? Need a Hint?
			A)	biotite.
			B)	kaolinite.
			C)	quartz.
			D)	olivine.
19		The normal pH of rainwater is about: Need a Hint?
			A)	8.2
			B)	7.0
			C)	5.5
			D)	3.0
20		What is the parent material of all soils? Need a Hint?
			A)	clay
			B)	rock
			C)	regolith
			D)	minerals