Semester 2 Exam Revision Notes: Waves and Earth Systems

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing core definitions and scientific concepts for waves, light, seismic activity, and Earth systems.

Wave

A phenomenon that transfers energy from one place to another.

Amplitude

The maximum distance from the rest position to a crest or trough; a bigger amplitude means more energy is carried by the wave.

Wavelength

The distance between matching points on two waves, such as from crest to crest.

Frequency

The number of complete waves passing a point each second, measured in hertz (Hz).

Resonance

The process that happens when an object is forced to vibrate at its natural frequency, which can cause its vibration amplitude to become very large.

Reflection

The process where light bounces off a surface.

Refraction

The process where light changes direction when it travels between materials because its speed changes.

Absorption

The process where a material takes in light energy.

Transmission

The process where light passes through a material.

P waves

Seismic waves that can travel through solids and liquids; they pass through the Earth's outer core while changing speed and direction.

S waves

Seismic waves that travel through solids but cannot travel through liquids, causing them to stop at the Earth's liquid outer core.

Atmosphere

The Earth system that includes gases surrounding Earth (air, including water vapour).

Hydrosphere

The Earth system that includes all water: oceans, lakes, rivers, groundwater, ice, and water vapour.

Geosphere

The Earth system that includes the solid Earth: rocks, minerals, soil, and landforms.

Biosphere

The Earth system that includes living things, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Water cycle

The continuous movement of water between Earth's surface and the atmosphere, driven mainly by energy from the Sun and gravity.

Evaporation

The water cycle process where liquid water gains energy and changes into water vapour.

Transpiration

The water cycle process where water vapour is released from plants, mainly through leaves.

Condensation

The water cycle process where water vapour cools and changes into tiny liquid droplets, forming clouds.

Precipitation

The water cycle process where water falls from clouds as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

Runoff

The water cycle process where water flows over the land into streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Infiltration

The water cycle process where water soaks into the ground.

Weathering

The process that breaks rock into smaller pieces, either physically or chemically.

Erosion

The movement of weathered material by water, wind, ice, or gravity.

Deposition

The process that happens when transported sediment is dropped.

Radiation

The process that transfers energy by electromagnetic waves, which can travel through a vacuum.

Conduction

The process that transfers energy through direct contact between particles.

Convection

The process that transfers energy by the movement of a fluid (a liquid or gas).

Terrestrial radiation

Outgoing energy emitted back towards space by Earth as infrared radiation.

Albedo

The proportion of incoming sunlight that a surface reflects, usually expressed as a number between $0$ and $1$, or as a percentage.

Carbon reservoir

A place where carbon is stored, such as the atmosphere, oceans, living things, soils, rocks, and fossil fuels.