SS formation, Earth formation, How life began

test for help (im cooked)

Volatile elements

hydrogen, helium, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur - chemical elements w/ low boiling points and vaporized easily - found in outer solar system

Refractory elements

materials (rocks/metals) that have high boiling points. found in rocky planets, meteorites, asteroids

Solar nebula

gas cloud that formed our sun and solar system

Accretion

accumulation of dust particles into a massive object

Iron Catastrophe

internal heat from radioactive elements and external heat from bombardment caused Earth to “melt”. Iron sank to core

Planetesimal

solid objects that existed in early S.S. Disk are the building blocks of larger planets

Coalesce

in the early S.S, small particles and dust and gas stuck together, collided, and grew larger

Terrestrial Planet

rocky planet. made of solid materials, solid surface, silicate rock, metals

Gaseous Planet

gas giant - made of gasses and ice, locks a solid surface. Has thick atmospheres of H, He, methane, ammonia = possible solid cores

Primary/Secondary atmosphere

primary - atmosphere from original formation of S.S. (gas planets) secondary - ex: earth = o2 came from photosynthesis

Crust

outermost layer of solid planets

Inner and outer core

inner - solid iron/nickel outer - semisolid iron/nickel = swirling causes magnetic field

Asteroid belt

region located b/w mars and Jupiter. contains millions of rocky, metallic remnants of early solar system

Kuiper belt

region located beyond neptune, contains icy, rocky bodies - like Pluto

Oort cloud

region beyond kuiper belt. contains ice bodies like comets

Why are gas planets so much larger?

they are made mostly of gas (H, He) which are the most abundant, more material = larger planet

Nickel-60 importance

supports idea a supernova caused a shockwave to cause the collapse of the nebula

A. Where in the solar system would you find denser elements and metallic cores? B. Why?

A. Inner planets B. rock and metal can survive heat from proximity to the sun

A. Where in the solar system would you find less dense elements and silicate cores? B. Why?

A. Outer planets B. gas and ice would vaporize in heat of sun. Solar wind carries light elements away

Explain how density plays a role in the formation of the planets

Inner planets are made of rock and metal which are more dense. more dense materials

Explain the difference between the formation of the inner and outer planets

Inner planets = accretion. Sticking together of rocky materials. Outer planets = gravity holds gasses together

Explain the role of the earth's magnetic field and how it was formed

formed due to movement in liquid after core protects earth from solar wind = otherwise?

Put the formation of objects in order from earliest to latest (most current): planets, sun, solar nebula, supernova, our moon

supernova, solar nebula, sun, planets, moon

What is the role of radioactive elements in the Earth and bombardment?

internal heat - led to melting - iron catastrophe

Explain why meteorites are used by researchers to understand early solar system conditions

they contain the original chemical fingerprint from the formation of solar system

Earth Formation: importance of zircons and Carbon-13

zircons = date the earliest rocks 4.4 billion years ago. Carbon - 13 = evidence first life 3.7 billion years ago

Explain the 2 sources of water on earth and evidence to support the theory.

Comets - contain deuterium (isotope of H) volcano outgassing - does not contain the deuterium isotope

Metal Core

inner

Rock Core

outer

Less Massive

inner

More Massive

outer

Silicate Crust

inner

Gaseous Layers

outer

More Dense

inner

Less Dense

outer

Higher Temps and Higher Melting Points

inner

Lower Temps and Lower Melting Points

outer

List the formation of the earth events

Solar nebula - accretion - bombardment - iron catastrophe - magnetic field - moon formation - earth cools - volcanoes - water - life

Explain the events that took place and the importance of the late heavy bombardment.

Began 4.1 - 3.8 billion years ago. Inner planets struck by large numbers of comets and asteroids. Gravitational shifts and Jupiter + Saturn flung small icy bodies towards inner Solar System. Importance: delivered h2o, carbon compounds, materials needed for life

Explain the changing atmospheres of the earth. What created them? Events that changed them.

Earth’s early atom = formed at the time of planet creation would have been stripped away by solar wind or vaporized due to heat.

Earth experiences the iron catastrophe - magnetic field now protects earth from solar wind.

Earth cools - crust forms - volcanoes spew co2

Cyanobacteria evolve photosynthesis = convert co2 atmosphere to an oxygen (nitrogen atmosphere)

What color was the early atmosphere? What color was the ocean?

atmosphere - thick co2, red in color

ocean - olive green in color

What was the gas found in the cave in Mexico that is deadly to humans but bacteria love?

Hydrogen sulfide

Name a minimum of four elements that are considered the basic elements of life

Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen * also phosphorous and sulfur

Miller’s experiment simulated the conditions of early earth. What was the catalyst that made these basic ingredients form amino acids? He simulated this in his laboratory

Miller used lightning to as the catalyst to make amino acids

What is one theory scientists have on where the building blocks of life come from?

Scientists believe comets and asteroids contained minerals and carbon and other compounds that were the building blocks of life

What was the relevance of firing a bullet at the vessel that contained a sample of amino acids? What condition on earth was this experiment attempting to recreate?

Collison simulation experiment - amino acids can survive bombardment and fuse together to form larger.

Where on earth do scientists figure life first got started?

First life probably underground to survive the constant bombardment on the surface.

What is the process called when bacteria use chemical energy, like hydrogen sulfide, instead of light?

Chemosynthesis

Formula: co2 + h2o + h2s + o2

Cyanobacteria were the game-changers- they pulled off “Earth’s greatest transformation,” What did they do?

First organism to use photosynthesis. They converted the atmosphere from co2 to o2

Formula: co2 + h2o = c6h12o6 + o2

What is the name of the rocky structure that the cyanobacteria built over millions of years?

Stromatous