Year 9 Earth and Space Worksheet - Intermediate

Year 9 Earth and Space worksheet for Year 9 (Key Stage 3 / Year 7-9 (Ages 11-14)). Intermediate level science practice, aligned to the UK National Curriculum. Print-ready with answer key included.

Science•Key Stage 3 / Year 7-9 (Ages 11-14)•Earth and Spaceintermediate

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Earth and Space: A Connected Planet

Year 9 | Ages 13–14 | Intermediate

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Instructions: Work through the five activities, showing calculations and using scientific vocabulary where appropriate. Use the information printed in each activity; answer every question in the space provided.

Earth’s Structure and the Rock Cycle

Use your knowledge of Earth’s layers and the processes that form rocks. Give clear, concise scientific answers and show the sequence of processes where asked.

1. Name the Earth layer that is made mostly of liquid iron and nickel.

2. Explain how cooling magma can form igneous rock. [3 marks]

3. Sedimentary rock is buried, heated and compressed without melting. What type of rock can form?

4. Describe how weathering and erosion can contribute to the formation of sedimentary rock. [3 marks]

Carbon Cycle and Climate Change

Read the data table, then use the values and your scientific understanding to answer the questions. Include units in calculations and distinguish between observations and explanations.

Year	Atmospheric carbon dioxide (ppm)	Global temperature anomaly (°C)
1990	354	0.45
2000	370	0.60
2010	390	0.72
2020	414	1.02

1. By how many ppm did atmospheric carbon dioxide increase from 1990 to 2020?

2. Describe the relationship between atmospheric carbon dioxide and global temperature anomaly in this data set. [2 marks]

3. Explain how burning fossil fuels transfers carbon into the atmosphere. [2 marks]

4. State one way deforestation can affect atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Earth Resources and Recycling

Use the data provided to compare the resource options. Show your working for the calculation, then explain one environmental benefit of recycling.

Material	Energy to make from raw material (MJ per tonne)	Energy to make from recycled material (MJ per tonne)
Aluminium	200	10
Glass	15	8
Paper	25	12

1. Calculate the energy saved by making one tonne of aluminium from recycled material rather than raw material.

2. Which material has the lowest energy use when made from recycled material?

3. Explain one reason why recycling finite resources can help conserve Earth’s resources. [2 marks]

4. Name one renewable energy resource and one finite energy resource.

Gravity, Seasons and the Solar System

Apply the ideas of gravity, orbital motion and Earth’s tilted axis. Include the correct unit in your weight calculation and explain causes rather than simply naming them.

1. A student has a mass of 50 kg. Calculate their weight on Earth using g = 10 N/kg.

2. Explain how gravity keeps planets in orbit around the Sun. [2 marks]

3. Explain why Earth has seasons. [3 marks]

4. Earth takes about 365 days to orbit the Sun. What is this time called?

Stars and Galaxies Beyond the Solar System

Use the word bank to complete each statement. Each word is used once. Then answer the final question using a complete scientific sentence.

Word bank: galaxy, light-year, nebula, red shift

1. A vast collection of stars, gas and dust held together by gravity is a ___.

2. The distance light travels in one year is called a ___.

3. A cloud of gas and dust where stars can form is a ___.

4. The observed stretching of light from distant galaxies, supporting the idea that the Universe is expanding, is called ___.

5. Why are light-years useful for describing distances beyond the Solar System? [2 marks]

Answer Key

Activity 1: 1. Outer core ; 2. Magma cools and solidifies, forming crystals/minerals in igneous rock ; 3. Metamorphic rock ; 4. Weathering breaks rock into sediment; erosion transports it; sediment is deposited, compacted and cemented into sedimentary rock

Activity 2: 1. 60 ppm ; 2. Both values increase over the period; this shows a positive relationship in this data set, but does not alone prove causation ; 3. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon stored underground as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere ; 4. Fewer trees remove less carbon dioxide by photosynthesis (deforestation may also release stored carbon)

Activity 3: 1. 190 MJ per tonne ; 2. Glass ; 3. Recycling reduces demand for finite raw materials and can reduce extraction and associated environmental damage ; 4. Renewable: wind, solar, hydroelectric or another valid example ; finite: coal, oil, natural gas or another valid example

Activity 4: 1. 500 N ; 2. The Sun’s gravitational force attracts each planet and continually changes its direction of motion, keeping it in orbit ; 3. Earth’s axis is tilted as Earth orbits the Sun; each hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun for part of the year and receives more direct sunlight and longer days, producing warmer seasons ; 4. A year (orbital period)

Activity 5: 1. galaxy ; 2. light-year ; 3. nebula ; 4. red shift ; 5. They are a convenient unit for expressing the very large distances involved; a light-year is the distance light travels in one year