"There's no bismuth like show bismuth" *
ESS 312 Practice exam questions
Here are some sample questions of the kind that might turn up on the midterm exam. The midterm will cover labs and lecture material up to the end of Week 5. The likely format will consist of: (i) Short-answer questions (definitions, short calculations, sketch geochemical relationships on a graph, etc). (ii) Longer, more detailed calculations on topics covered in labs and lectures.
Sample midterm questions (MSWord).
Sample midterm questions (pdf).
Answers to the sample questions are here:
Sample midterm answers (1.2 MB pdf file).
FINAL EXAM
The links below will get you to a sample final exam for the course. Actually, it's more like a set of questions culled from previous years, but the real exam format will be similar, and similar to the midterm. Up front will be a set of short answer questions requiring definitions, short calculations, sketches, etc, worth roughly 1/3 of the total. The remainder will be a selection of longer problems requiring more detailed calculations, interpretation (or drawing) of graphs, and so on. You will probably have some choice among these.
Things to remember about the exam ...
Once again, this will be an open book / open notes exam. You're allowed everything except access to the Web (no laptops, no smart phones ...)
It's a 2 hour exam, quite a bit longer than the midterm.
The final will be comprehensive. It will cover the entire syllabus, including both lab and lecture material. However, it will emphasize topics we covered since the midterm. Expect roughly 1/3 material from the first half of the class, 2/3 from the second half. Be sure to review the early material, the practice midterm and the midterm exam itself.
Maximize your grade! Look through the paper before you begin and work on the problems you understand best. Show that you understand the concept behind the question. Show all your working - partial answers will get (generous) partial credit, as long as I can follow your reasoning. Write down a solution algebraically before reaching for your calculator.
Here are the links to the practice final exam
Sample final exam questions. MSWord format.
Sample final exam questions. (pdf format).
Answers to the practice final (attempt the questions before you look at this):
Sample final exam answers (2.5 MB pdf file).
