Weathering & Erosion worksheet with questions on geological processes and landforms.

Let’s go through each question one by one. I’ll think carefully and make sure each answer is correct before writing it down.

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1. Which of these might be carried by the wind, which causes the weathering of rocks?
Options: fog, mud, pollen, sand

Wind can carry small, dry particles. Fog is water vapor — too light and not solid. Mud is wet and heavy — wind doesn’t carry it well. Pollen is tiny and light — yes, wind carries it! Sand is also carried by wind (think desert dunes). But the question says “which causes the weathering of rocks” — that means something that hits rocks and wears them away. Sand does that (like sandblasting). Pollen doesn’t wear down rocks. So best answer: sand

✔ Final for Q1: sand

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2. List three things that may cause the weathering of rocks.

Weathering = breaking down rocks in place. Causes include:
- Water (freezing/thawing, flowing)
- Wind (carrying sand that scrapes rock)
- Plants (roots growing into cracks)
- Animals (digging, walking)
- Temperature changes (expanding/contracting)
- Chemicals (acid rain, oxidation)

Any three are fine. Let’s pick common ones:

✔ Final for Q2: water, wind, plant roots

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3. What is the process called when Earth’s surface is broken down into smaller pieces?

That’s the definition of weathering. Erosion moves the pieces; weathering breaks them.

✔ Final for Q3: weathering

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4. What is the process called when pieces of Earth’s materials are moved to another location?

That’s erosion. Weathering breaks it, erosion moves it.

✔ Final for Q4: erosion

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5. Which of these does NOT cause erosion?
Options: liquid water, ice, sunlight, wind

Liquid water → rivers, waves → erodes
Ice → glaciers → erodes
Wind → blows sand → erodes
Sunlight → heats things, but doesn’t move material directly → does NOT cause erosion

✔ Final for Q5: sunlight

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6. True or false: sedimentary rock is formed by deposition.

Deposition = dropping sediments in a new place. Over time, layers build up and turn into sedimentary rock. Yes, that’s how they form.

✔ Final for Q6: True

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7. What is a major land feature formed through weathering and erosion by the Colorado River?

The Grand Canyon! The Colorado River carved it over millions of years.

✔ Final for Q7: Grand Canyon

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8. Which two weathering agents form mudslides?

Mudslides happen when soil gets soaked with water and slides downhill. Gravity pulls it down. So the agents are:

- Water (makes soil heavy and slippery)
- Gravity (pulls it down the slope)

Sometimes people say “rain and gravity” — same idea.

✔ Final for Q8: water and gravity

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9. Explain how sunlight can cause a crack in the street.

Sunlight heats up the pavement during the day. At night, it cools down. When things heat up, they expand. When they cool, they contract. If this happens every day, tiny cracks start to form and get bigger over time. This is called thermal expansion and contraction.

So: Sunlight → heats street → expands → cools at night → contracts → repeated stress → cracks form.

✔ Final for Q9: Sunlight heats the street during the day, making it expand. At night, it cools and contracts. Repeating this every day creates stress that forms cracks.

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Now let’s write all final answers clearly.

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Final Answer:
1. sand
2. water, wind, plant roots (or any 3 valid weathering causes)
3. weathering
4. erosion
5. sunlight
6. True
7. Grand Canyon
8. water and gravity
9. Sunlight heats the street during the day, making it expand. At night, it cools and contracts. Repeating this every day creates stress that forms cracks.