Concepts of Radioactive Decay, Water Properties, and Geological Landscapes

Flashcards summarizing key vocabulary concepts related to radioactive decay, water properties, geological landscapes, and the rock cycle.

Radioactive Decay

The process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation.

Half-Life

The time required for half of the radioactive substance to decay.

Isotope

Variants of a particular chemical element that differ in neutron number.

Disintegration

The process of a radioactive substance breaking down into smaller particles or different elements.

Radiation

Energy emitted in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves from radioactive substances.

Carbon-14 Dating

A method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by measuring the amount of carbon-14 remaining.

Uranium-238

A radioactive isotope used to date very old geological materials, such as rocks.

Potassium-40

A radioactive isotope that decays into argon-40 and is used in dating geological formations.

Metamorphic Rock

A type of rock that has changed from its original form due to heat, pressure, or mineral exchange.

Sedimentary Rock

Rock formed by the accumulation and compaction of mineral and organic particles.

Igneous Rock

Rock formed from the solidification of molten material known as magma.

Density

Mass per unit volume of a substance.

Eccentricity of an Ellipse

A measure of how much an ellipse deviates from being circular.

Gravitational Attraction

The force that attracts two bodies toward each other, which affects orbital speeds of planets.

Gradient Equation

Change in field value divided by distance; used to determine the steepness of elevation on a map.

Coriolis Effect

The deflection of moving objects, including wind and ocean currents, due to the rotation of Earth.

Rock Cycle

The continuous process by which rocks are formed, broken down, and reformed through geological processes.

Weathering

The breakdown of rock into smaller particles due to environmental factors.

Erosion

The movement of weathered rock and soil by wind, water, or ice.