Earth Science, Space & Chemistry Study Guide Glaciers 1. What are the two main types of glaciers? Mountain (alpine) Continental 2. What shape is a glacier-carved valley? U-shaped 3. What conditions are needed for glaciers to form? Cold summers Heavy snowfall Snow does not fully melt 4. Why are glaciers important? Store freshwater Shape land Affect climate Earth’s Layers & Plate Tectonics 5. What is the thinnest layer of Earth? Crust 6. What are the three main layers of Earth? Crust Mantle Core 7. What is plate tectonics? Earth’s crust is made of moving plates 8. What are the three plate boundaries? Divergent Convergent Transform Memory Trick Divergent = divide Convergent = collide Transform = slide past 9. What causes earthquakes? Movement of tectonic plates 10. What is an aftershock? Smaller earthquake after a major one 11. What is a fault? Crack in Earth where movement happens Rocks, Volcanoes & Erosion 12. Which rock forms when magma or lava cools? Igneous rock 13. What are the three rock types? Igneous Sedimentary Metamorphic Memory Trick Igneous = fire Sedimentary = layers Metamorphic = changed by heat and pressure 14. What is the difference between magma and lava? Magma = underground Lava = surface 15. What are the three volcano activity levels? Active Dormant Extinct 16. What are the three volcano shapes? Shield Composite Cinder cone 17. What is weathering? Breaking down rock 18. What is erosion? Movement of dirt and rocks by water, wind, ice, or gravity 19. What is mechanical weathering? Physical breaking of rock 20. What is chemical weathering? Rock changes chemically 21. What is terracing? Flat steps cut into hillsides to reduce erosion Caves 22. What is the most common type of cave? Solution cave 23. Difference between stalactites and stalagmites Stalactites hang from the ceiling Stalagmites grow from the floor Memory Trick Stalactites hold “tight” to the ceiling Stalagmites “might” reach the ceiling Important Earth Science Terms 24. What is uniformitarianism? Natural processes today worked the same in the past 25. Difference between soil and dirt Soil has nutrients and supports life 26. What is elevation? Height above sea level 27. How deep have scientists explored into Earth? Only partway through Earth’s crust Atmosphere, Weather & Climate 28. Layers of the atmosphere Troposphere Stratosphere Mesosphere Thermosphere Exosphere Memory Trick The Sky Makes Tiny Explosions 29. What causes seasons? Earth’s tilted axis 30. Difference between weather and climate Weather = short-term conditions Climate = long-term average weather 31. What causes tides? Gravity from the moon and sun Fossils & Resources 32. Types of fossils Mold Cast Trace fossils 33. Renewable vs nonrenewable resources Renewable = naturally replaced Nonrenewable = limited supply Space Unit Solar System 34. Planets in order from the Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Memory Trick My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos 35. What is the hottest planet? Venus 36. Largest planet Jupiter 37. Smallest planet Mercury 38. Planet that rotates on its side Uranus 39. Inner planets Mercury Venus Earth Mars 40. Outer planets Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune 41. Gas giants Jupiter Saturn 42. Ice giants Uranus Neptune 43. Why is Pluto not considered a planet? It has not cleared its orbit 44. What keeps planets in orbit? Gravity 45. Rotation vs revolution Rotation = spinning Revolution = orbiting Space Objects 46. Asteroid Rock in space 47. Meteor Streak of light in atmosphere 48. Meteorite Meteor that hits Earth 49. Comet Ice and dust object with a tail Space Exploration 50. NASA program that put humans on the moon Apollo Program 51. First man on the moon Neil Armstrong 52. Space shuttle that exploded Challenger Sun & Stars 53. Two elements that make up most of the sun Hydrogen Helium 54. What are sunspots? Cooler, darker spots on the sun 55. Surface temperature of the sun About 11,000°F 56. Type of energy from the sun Electromagnetic energy 57. How long sunlight takes to reach Earth About 8 minutes 20 seconds 58. Brightness of a star depends on Distance from Earth Amount of light it gives off 59. Supernova Exploding star 60. Nova Temporary brightening of a star 61. Nebula Cloud of dust and gas in space 62. Plasma Material the sun is made of Moon & Eclipses 63. Solar eclipse Moon blocks sunlight from reaching Earth 64. Why the moon has many craters Almost no atmosphere to burn up meteors 65. Why we only see one side of the moon Moon rotates and revolves at the same speed 66. Moon phases to know New Moon Waxing Crescent Full Moon Waning Gibbous Last Quarter Shortcut New → Waxing → Full → Waning Space Vocabulary 67. Milky Way Our galaxy 68. Astronomy Study of space 69. Light-year Distance light travels in one year 70. Constellation Group of stars forming a pattern 71. Most common galaxy shape Elliptical galaxy Chemistry Basics 72. What is an ion? Atom that gains or loses electrons and becomes charged 73. Ionic bond Electrons transferred between atoms Metal + nonmetal 74. Covalent bond Atoms share electrons Nonmetal + nonmetal 75. Metallic bond Metals bonded with freely moving electrons Metal + metal 76. Valence electrons Electrons in the outer energy level 77. Atomic number Number of protons 78. Exothermic reaction Reaction that releases energy 79. What metals usually do with electrons Lose electrons easily 80. Sulfur’s atomic number 16 81. Carbon valence electrons 4 82. Protons in arsenic 33 Parts of an Atom 83. Proton Positive charge 84. Neutron Neutral charge 85. Electron Negative charge 86. Where particles are found Protons & neutrons = nucleus Electrons = electron cloud Periodic Table 87. Groups/Families Vertical columns Same valence electrons 88. Periods Horizontal rows Same number of energy levels Metals 89. Six characteristics of metals Shiny/lustrous Solid at room temperature Malleable Ductile Conduct heat/electricity Reactive Noble Gases 90. Why are noble gases nonreactive? Full valence electron shell Other Chemistry Terms 91. Electronegativity Ability of an atom to attract electrons 92. Free electron model Electrons move freely through metals 93. First law of thermodynamics Energy cannot be created or destroyed 94. Reactants Starting substances in a reaction 95. Products New substances formed Acids & Bases 96. pH scale 0–6 = acidic 7 = neutral 8–14 = basic Nutrition 97. Three macronutrients Carbohydrates Fats Proteins Examples Carbs = bread/pasta Fats = avocado/nuts Proteins = meat/beans 98