Lesson Y8-U01-L01

The Structure of the Earth Quiz: KS3 Geography, Unit 7

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y8-U01-L01, The Structure of the Earth: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Geography (National Curriculum), Unit 7: Year 8: Restless Earth: Tectonic Hazards, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which layer of the Earth do we live on?

    • The mantle
    • The inner core
    • The outer core
    • The crust

  2. What materials make up the Earth's outer core?

    • Liquid iron and nickel
    • Solid rock and magma
    • Gas and water vapour
    • Granite and basalt

  3. What is the physical state of the Earth's mantle?

    • Liquid metal
    • Gas and dust
    • Solid rock
    • Rigid crustal ice

  4. Which layer of the Earth is the hottest?

    • The mantle
    • The inner core
    • The outer core
    • The crust

  5. What term describes the giant moving pieces of the Earth's surface?

    • Outer cores
    • Tectonic plates
    • Sedimentary layers
    • Convection currents

  6. Which process moves hot rock in circular paths within the mantle?

    • Ocean tides
    • Magnetic fields
    • Convection currents
    • Atmospheric pressure

  7. What is the approximate thickness of the crust?

    • About 5 to 70 km
    • About 0.5 to 7 km
    • About 1,000 to 2,000 km
    • About 500 to 700 km

  8. What is the approximate temperature of the inner core?

    • About 150°C
    • About 25,000°C
    • About 1,000°C
    • About 5,500°C

  9. Approximately how far down is the centre of the Earth?

    • 50,000 km
    • 1,000 km
    • 12 km
    • 6,371 km

  10. What does volcanic lava reveal about the Earth's interior?

    • Frozen lower crust
    • Hollow core spaces
    • Liquid iron oceans
    • Extreme underground heat

  11. Which phrase accurately describes the Earth's mantle?

    • Solid rock that flows
    • Superheated gas cloud
    • Liquid metal ocean
    • Brittle outer crust

  12. What drags tectonic plates across the Earth's surface?

    • Strong wind patterns
    • Magnetic pole shifts
    • Mantle convection currents
    • Ocean wave action

  13. Hot soup rising and sinking in a pan models which Earth process?

    • Mantle convection
    • Crustal subduction
    • Plate collision
    • Core freezing

  14. How do seismic waves reveal boundaries inside the Earth?

    • Magnetic reversals
    • Gravity losses
    • Colour shifts
    • Speed changes

  15. Which metal composition in meteorites helps scientists understand the Earth's core?

    • Iron and nickel
    • Copper and zinc
    • Lead and tin
    • Gold and silver

  16. Which Earth layer is the coolest, found at the very surface?

    • Outer core
    • Mantle
    • Crust
    • Inner core

  17. What factor keeps the inner core solid despite extremely high temperatures?

    • Freezing surface winds
    • Low melting point
    • Constant magnetic shielding
    • Immense overlying pressure

  18. What type of evidence is primarily used to study unreachable deep Earth layers?

    • Ocean sonar
    • Satellite photography
    • Indirect evidence
    • Direct drilling

  19. What does a sharp drop in seismic wave speed inside the Earth indicate?

    • A magnetic reversal
    • An underground ocean
    • A volcanic eruption
    • A layer boundary

  20. How is the mantle able to flow even though it is solid rock?

    • Extreme heat
    • Dissolved water
    • Magnetic pull
    • High ocean pressure

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