Earth Science Semester 1 Study Guide

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from Earth Science Semester 1, designed to aid in exam preparation.

Matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space.

Thermal Expansion

The increase in volume of a substance due to an increase in temperature.

Seismic Waves

Waves of energy that travel through the Earth, used to study its interior.

P-waves

Primary waves; compressional waves that travel fastest through the Earth.

S-waves

Secondary waves; shear waves that cannot travel through liquids.

Electromagnetic Wave

A wave that can travel through a vacuum, consists of oscillating electric and magnetic fields.

Wavelength

The distance between successive crests of a wave.

Frequency

The number of waves that pass a point in a given time period.

Amplitude

The maximum extent of a wave's variation from its rest position.

Nuclear Fusion

The process by which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing energy.

Gravity

The force that attracts two bodies toward each other, proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the distance between them.

Radiometric Dating

A method used to date materials by comparing the abundance of a radioactive isotope to its decay products.

Stratigraphy

The branch of geology concerned with the order and relative position of strata and their relationship to the geological time scale.

The Big Bang

The leading explanation about how the universe began, marking the point from which the universe has expanded.

Parallax

The apparent displacement of an object due to a change in the observer's point of view.

Geochronology

The science of determining the age of rocks, sediments, and fossils.

Atomic Bond

The connection between atoms in a molecule; can be ionic, covalent, or metallic.

Intermolecular Force

Forces of attraction or repulsion between neighboring particles (atoms, molecules, or ions).

Thermal Energy

The total energy of all the particles in an object due to their motion.