Lesson T9.1.1

T9.1.1 Composition and structure of the Earth Quiz: KS3 Chemistry, Unit 9

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T9.1.1, Composition and structure of the Earth: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Chemistry (National Curriculum), Unit 9: Earth and atmosphere, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is the outermost layer of the Earth called?

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

  2. Which layer of the Earth is the thickest?

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

  3. Which layer of the Earth is thought to be made mainly of liquid iron and nickel?

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

  4. Which layer of the Earth is solid even though it is very hot?

    • The lithosphere only
    • The crust
    • The outer core
    • The inner core

  5. What is the approximate thickness of the continental crust?

    • Around 5000 km thick throughout
    • Around 30 to 50 km
    • Around 2000 km below the surface
    • Less than 1 cm thick everywhere

  6. Which two elements make up most of the Earth's crust?

    • Oxygen and silicon
    • Nitrogen and argon
    • Carbon and hydrogen
    • Sodium and chlorine

  7. What do scientists use to learn about the Earth's inner structure?

    • Measurements of the air pressure only
    • Seismic waves from earthquakes
    • Readings from ocean temperatures
    • Samples taken from the core

  8. Which layer of the Earth is the source of most lava from volcanoes?

    • The outer core
    • The inner core
    • The atmosphere
    • The mantle

  9. Which layer is made of solid rock that flows very slowly over long periods?

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

  10. Which statement about the Earth's core is correct?

    • The core is made of loose sand and small stones
    • The core is mainly made of oxygen gas and water vapour
    • The core is made only of carbon in a dense solid form
    • The core is mainly made of iron and nickel

  11. Which layer is the thinnest of the Earth's layers?

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

  12. Which property of the outer core allows it to produce the Earth's magnetic field?

    • It is a solid crust with mineral deposits on its top surface
    • It is cold and does not move at all, staying fixed in place
    • It is liquid and moves, creating electric currents
    • It is a gas that rises and falls with the heat of the core

  13. Which describes the crust compared with the mantle?

    • The crust is made only of iron and nickel alloy in its layers
    • The crust is hotter, thicker and denser than the mantle
    • The crust is cooler, thinner and lighter in rock type
    • The crust is liquid while the mantle is solid rock throughout

  14. A student draws a labelled diagram of the Earth. Which layer should be drawn at the very centre?

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

  15. What is the main reason the Earth's inner core is solid?

    • The inner core is cool because it is far from the Sun
    • The inner core is made of gas that has frozen
    • Immense pressure keeps the iron packed tightly
    • The inner core is made of ice

  16. Which layer lies immediately beneath the crust?

    • The mantle
    • The outer core
    • The inner core
    • The atmosphere

  17. Which statement about the rock cycle connection to the Earth's layers is correct?

    • Rock never moves between the layers of the Earth over time at all
    • Molten rock from the mantle can cool to form igneous rock at the surface
    • Molten rock from the crust forms the inner core over long periods
    • Rock from the core forms sedimentary layers on the surface of the planet

  18. Which layer of the Earth is closest to its surface?

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

  19. Which two layers together are sometimes called the core?

    • The mantle and the outer core together
    • The inner core and the crust together
    • The outer core and the inner core
    • The crust and the mantle together

  20. Which description fits the lithosphere?

    • The layer made only of solid iron at the centre of the Earth
    • The liquid layer lying beneath the atmosphere of the whole planet
    • The rigid outer layer made of the crust and the upper mantle
    • The gas layer surrounding the Earth and the atmosphere above

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