Earth Science Midterm Study Guide Scientific Method 1. Define hypothesis. - An educated guess that answers your question. 2. Define conclusion. - A judgment or opinion inferred from relevant facts; also a final summary. 3. Define scientific law. - A generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature; it is verified as true. 4. Define scientific theory. - An accepted explanation of some aspect of the natural world; this concept is not yet verified as true. 5. Define control. - A standard against which other conditions can be compared in an experiment. 6. Define independent variable. - The factor that the experimenter purposefully changes. It is written in the first part of the hypothesis following If... 7. Define dependent variable. - The response to the experimenter s purposeful changes. It is the effect. It written in the second part of the hypothesis, after the then... 8. Define model. - Representation of an object or situation. 9. Differentiate between an open and closed system. - Open a system in which there is a free exchange of both energy and matter between the system and its surroundings. - Closed a system in which energy can leave, but matter can not. 10. Why is Earth not entirely a closed system? - Some energy is leaving Measurement 11. What system of measurement is commonly used in science?
a. metric 12. What does a triple-beam balance measure? a. mass 13. What does a graduated cylinder measure? a. volume 14. What does a ruler measure? a. length 15. What is true about the mass of an object, regardless of where the object is located? a. Remain the same 16. Describe how to find mass using a triple-beam balance. a. Move the riders to zero. Find the hundreds. Find the tens. Find the ones. Find the tenths. b. Be sure that if the mark goes below the zero line, that you move the rider back one. 17. Describe how to find the volume of an odd-shaped object. a. Fill the graduated cylinder. Measure the volume of the water. Drop the object into the cylinder. Measure the new volume. Subtract the volume of the object in the water minus the volume of the water. This is the volume of the object. b. Measure a volume of water. Drop in the object. Measure the new volume of the water. Subtract. 18. Describe how to calculate density. a. Find the mass and the volume. Density = mass / volume 19. Convert 18 yards to inches. 20. Convert 18 inches to feet. 21. Convert 199 cm to m. Maps 22. Convert 199 kg to mg. 1. What are characteristics of a Mercator projection? a. Depicts earth as if a large cylinder of paper had been wrapped around the planet. Shows the whole world. Distorts areas near poles. 2. What are characteristics of a polyconic projection?
a. Made as if a cone of paper had been wrapped around earth. Useful for mapping large areas in the middle latitudes. 3. What are characteristics of a gnomonic projection? a. Planar projection. Made as if a sheet of paper had been laid on a point on earth s surface, often one of the poles. Shows the shortest distance between two points. Distorts land mass shapes away from the center point. 4. Where is the equator located and what does it divide? a. 0 degrees latitude. Northern and southern hemispheres 5. Where are the prime meridian and 180 meridian located and what do they divide? a. 0 and 180 degrees longitude. Eastern and western hemispheres 6. What does the map scale tell us? a. How the map s features compare in size with earth s surface. 7. Describe different methods of mapping. a. Plane-table surveying done by carrying a drawing board to a high point and drawing anything that they could see. b. Mapmakers began using photographs from airplanes. c. Radar is useful when a photograph cannot be taken. d. Satellites photograph the Earth from space. e. The images are not necessarily true-to-life color pictures false-color image. f. GPS allows people to determine their position, speed, and time anywhere in the world. g. GIS combines data from satellite images, statistical surveys, and traditional land surveys. 8. Define a false-color image. a. An image made up of colors such as reds, yellows, and purples, shows earth s features more clearly. 9. What is necessary for a GPS to work? a. master control station b. GPS receiver c. satellites 10. What do contour lines (and the distance between them) tell us? a. Elevation of land above or below sea level. 11. How can the slope of an elevation be calculated using a topographic map? a. Distance between two points, change in elevation. 12. What happens when a contour line crosses a river? a. Points in direction of river s source. 13. Differentiate between latitude and longitude.
a. Latitude across b. Longitude vertical 14. What features are shown on a topographic map? a. Show mountains, rivers, depressions, cliffs, and other features of the land 15. Define magnetic declination. a. The angle by which the compass needle varies from true north; magnetic variation
Earth s Structure and Motion 16. What shape is the Earth s path around the sun? a. elliptical 17. Differentiate between steady state theory, open theory, and closed theory. a. Steady state the universe does not change over time b. Open theory the universe will continue to expand indefinitely c. Closed theory the universe is expanding until it reaches a limit 18. Differentiate between red- and blue-shifted. a. Red long wavelengths, stars moving away from observer b. Blue short wavelengths, stars moving toward observer 19. How long did it take for the universe to form and what is the current age estimate? a. 14.6 bya 20. What was the first element formed during the creation of the universe? a. hydrogen 21. Differentiate between revolution and rotation. a. Revolution movement of earth in its orbit around the sun b. Rotation movement of earth around its axis 22. Define parallax. a. The apparent shift in position of stars and other celestial bodies 23. What are the four layers of the Earth and what are properties of these? a. Inner core solid, iron and nickel, 6371 km deep, 6000 K b. Outer core liquid, iron and nickel, 5150 km deep, 3700-5500 K (increases with depth c. Mantle solid with liquid properties, iron, silicon, magnesium, 2890 km deep, thickest of the layers, 1500-3200 K d. Crust solid, lighter rocks, 0-65 km deep very thin layer, <1000 K Matter and Atoms 24. Define matter. a. Anything that has a mass and volume 25. What subatomic particles are found in the nucleus of an atom? a. Protons and neutrons 26. What is the smallest part of an element that still has all of the properties of that element? a. atom 27. Define element.
a. A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary physical or chemical means 28. Define ion. a. Atom gains or loses an electron 29. How does a positive ion form? a. Loses an electron 30. How does a negative ion form? a. Gains an electron 31. Define compound. a. Pure substances made of more than one type of atom; chemically combined. 32. Define mixture. a. Made up of more than one substance. Varies from sample to sample. 33. Differentiate between homogeneous and heterogeneous mixture. a. Homogeneous basically the same throughout the mixture b. Heterogeneous not the same throughout 34. How does an ionic bond form? a. Atoms gain/lose electons. One loses, the other gains b. Between metal and nonmetal 35. How does a metallic bond form? a. Between two metals 36. How does a polar covalent bond form? a. Different nonmentals bond 37. How does a nonpolar covalent bond form? a. Same nonmetals bond 38. From the periodic table of elements, how do you find how many protons, neutrons, and electrons are in an atom of an element? a. Atomic number number of protons and electons b. Atomic mass = protons + neutrons
Minerals 1. What are the five characteristics of minerals? a. Naturally occurring b. Inorganic c. Solid d. Definite chemical composition e. Definite crystal structure 2. Definite crystal pattern (shape) a. Orderly arrangement of particles 3. Define native mineral. a. An element that is considered to be a mineral 4. Define compound. a. Made up (consisting) of more than one element 5. Define mixture. a. Two or more substances that have been combined, but keep their own chemical identities 6. Define silicate. a. Minerals composed of silicon and oxygen 7. Define oxide. a. Minerals composed of oxygen and metal 8. Describe how to identify a mineral. a. inspection (color, luster, crystal shape) b. through tests (streak, fracture, hardness, specific gravity) c. identification of special properties