Science Exam Review

How does the atmosphere help sustain life on Earth?

The atmosphere contains gases that are necessary for life, contains water vapor for the water cycle, keeps earth at stable temperatures, and the ozone layer protects us from the sun.

Weather occurs in which layer of the atmosphere?

Troposphere

How does temperature and air density change as altitude increases in the troposphere?

Temperature and density DECREASES as you move higher up in the troposphere

How does temperature affect the density of air?

The colder the air, the denser it is

How can we use relative humidity measurements and dewpoint to predict the occurrence of precipitation?

Precipitation is likely when relative humidity is at or near 100%. Precipitation is likely when the air temperature is at the dewpoint

What is air pressure?

The weight (or pull of gravity) air molecules feel.

Explain how surface winds circulate around high and low-pressure systems.

Counterclockwise around a low-pressure center and clockwise around a high-pressure center

Explain how air pressure plays a role in the creation of winds.

Air masses will move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.

How is climate different from weather?

Weather - Day to day changes in atmospheric conditions Climate - the average trends in atmospheric conditions a region of land experiences over a long period of time

What types of data can we collect to determine the climate of a region?

Storm/growth seasons, precipitation amount/type, wind speed/direction, winter/summer temperatures, cloud cover, hours of sunlight

What type of biome is usually found around the equator? Why is this?

tropical rainforests- Hadley cells start dry north and dump moisture at the equator

What type of biome is usually found around the 30-degree north and south latitude? Why is this?

desert. the Hadley cells come down and drop off the moisture deprived air around that place

What is dendrochronology and how does it connect to climate?

The study of tree rings The climate of a region can affect the growth of a tree from year to year. The color and width of a tree ring can tell us about the amount of precipitation and temeprature of a region.

What does it mean to be a steward of God's creation?

To sustainably use natural resources so there is enough for the current generation and generations to come. To faithfully study creation in order to take care of and protect what God has made.

What are tectonic plates?

Sections of Earth's crust (lithosphere) float on the mantle

List out the layers of Earth from the outermost to the innermost.

Crust (lithosphere) Mantle → Asthenosphere = upper + a little of crust Outer core Inner core

What layer of Earth is the thinnest? The thickest?

Thinnest - crust Thickest - Mantle

What is a convection current and how does it move?

Convection current - occurs within the mantle to move crust plates; magma within the mantle heated up by the core and rises and then cools and sinks

What is a plate boundary?

Where two tectonic plates meet

What causes Earth's magnetic field?

the spinning of earths core

What are hotspots?

Place on Earth where magma in the mantle is hotter than anywhere else

How did the Hawaiian Archipelago form?

Hot spot in mantle → Plate moving over top of hot spot so crust melted and lava came out

How does the idea of a supercontinent fit in with the Biblical timeline?

Christian geologists believe that there once was a supercontinent that was mostly broken apart during the Flood. The plates continued to move during the Tower of Babel and are still moving today.

How has the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Ridge added to geologists' knowledge of Earth's layers?

Mid-Atlantic Ocean Ridge is an example of a divergent plate boundary. The new plate material that is being created shows that the two plates move away from each other at equal rates. This has also shown that Earth's magnetic field has switched in history several times.

What is atomic mass?

Mass number = # of protons + # of neutrons Average atomic mass = the average of all masses of all isotopes found in the world Ex. C-12

What is an atomic number?

number of protons (the number at the top of square)

Explain what an isotope is.

an element with the same number of protons and different number of neutrons (gives us a different mass)

Briefly explain the process of nuclear fusion.

Nuclear fusion is how stars use their energy and how heavier elements are created. Def. Nuclear fusion = The process of two elements coming together and fusing H-1 + H-1 → H-2 + H-1 → He-3 + He-3 → He-4 (alpha particle)

What is an alpha particle?

He-4

Explain the process of alpha fusion.

He-4 + He-4 → Be-8 + He-4 → C-12 + He-4 → O-16 + He-4 → ........Fe-56

What does alpha fusion eventually create?

Iron

What is hydrostatic equilibrium?

The force the holds a star together. When the force of a gas wanting to expand is equal to the force of gravity pulling the gas inwards

What is wavelength? What is frequency? What is the connection between the two?

Def. Wavelength = the distance between two crests or the distance between two troughs Def. Frequency = the number of waves that pass by in a certain amount of time Wavelength and frequency are inversely related (When wavelength is high

What is the electromagnetic spectrum?

All of the wavelengths of energy known to man.

The two Hubble images from the Hubble Telescope were redshifted. What did this mean for the galaxies shown in the picture?

They are moving away

What is the Doppler effect?

As a sound moves away from you, the sound waves get longer and the pitch gets lower.
As a sound moves towards you, the sound waves get shorter and the pitch gets higher.

What does HR diagram stand for?

Hertzsprung-Russell

What is luminosity? How is this different than magnitude?

Luminosity is the actual brightness of a star; magnitude is the perceived brightness from earth

What does HR diagram show?

The relationship between luminosity and temperature of different stars

What color are hot stars?

Blue

What color are cool stars?

Red