Midterm Study Guide 1) Intro to Earth Science (Chapters 1& 2) a) Fact (observation) vs. Inference (assumption/hypothesis) Recognize whether a statement is a fact or an inference. For example: The rock probably formed 200million years ago. The mineral sample is purple. This desk has a mass of 150kg. The rock is black and shiny. The rock is light-colored. The rock contains large crystals. Tomorrow s weather will be sunny and cool. The sun will explode in 3 billion years. b) Scientists use to test their hypotheses. A well-designed experiment should have lots of / very few [pick one] constants. c) Metric system (convert from one to another) d) Lab safety: What do you do if your clothes catch on fire? What if you spill acid on your clothing? What if you get acid in your eyes? e) Geology studies, meteorology studies, astronomy studies, oceanography studies f) Density (formula, causes sink/float, effect of pressure & temperature) g) Be able to read and interpret graphs 2) Mapping (Chapter 3) a) Hemisphere, Equator, Prime Meridian, Latitude, Longitude, Map scale, Topography, Contour line, Contour interval, Slope, Elevation, Magnetic declination b) Reading contour maps (contour interval, etc.) c) Given a map, determine i) Latitude/longitude of a location ii) Distance between two points using a map scale iii) Elevation of a location iv) Direction a river flows v) Where the slope is steep/gentle d) Draw the profile of a line on a topographic map e) Distinguish between a hill and a depression f) Use a time zone map g) GPS [Global Positioning System] uses satellites, receivers & transmission stations 3) Astronomy (Chapters 4, 25-28) a) Absolute magnitude, Apparent magnitude, Asteroid, Black hole, Comet, Constellation, Fusion, Galaxy, Geocentric, Heliocentric, Lunar Eclipse, Meteor, Meteorite, Moon, Nebula, Orbit, Revolution, Rotation, Satellite, Solar Eclipse, Luminosity
b) Age of the universe: Age of the Earth: c) Celestial Objects i) Galaxy: ii) Solar system: iii) Rank the following in order of increasing size (Sun, Galaxy, Universe, Solar System, Earth): d) Theory for origin of universe: i) Proof: e) Stars i) Most common elements in the star are & ii) Powered by iii) H-R diagram (interpret) iv) Star life cycle (1) How star begins (2) Our sun (3) Steps along the way (4) Final step for different stars f) Spectroscopy: study of i) Tells the elements in a star ii) Temperature of a star (hottest: coolest: ) iii) Movement of a star (blue shift: red shift: ) g) Solar System i) Label the diagrams as geocentric or heliocentric: ii) Rotation: (1) Proof: (2) Period of E s rotation: (3) Gives us daily movement iii) Revolution: (1) Proof: (2) Period of E s revolution: (3) Gives us yearly movement iv) Orbits (1) All planetary orbits are elliptical / circular (pick one)
v) Gravity (1) When mass increases, force of gravity (2) When distance increases, force of gravity (3) When closer to the sun, a planet moves and has a revolution (4) When further from the sun, a planet moves and has a revolution (5) Earth is furthest from the sun: spring / summer / fall / winter (pick one) (6) Earth is closer to the sun: spring / summer / fall / winter (pick one) h) Path of Sun i) Rises in east & sets in west (same as all stars in our sky) ii) Only directly overhead (zenith) between 23.5 N and 23.5 S never in VA iii) Altitude (height) of sun depends on the latitude & the season, due to Earth s iv) Seasons (1) March 21 st / September 22 nd called the (a) Direct sunlight (sun directly overhead) at latitude (b) Day is exactly 12 hours long v) June 21 st called the (1) hemisphere tilted toward sun (2) Direct sunlight at latitude (3) Sun is highest in sky, giving N the longest day (4) Summer in northern hemisphere; winter in southern hemisphere vi) December 21 st called the (1) Northern hemisphere tilted from sun (2) Direct sunlight at latitude (3) Sun is lowest in sky, giving N the shortest day (4) Winter in northern hemisphere, summer in southern hemisphere vii) Moon (1) Solar eclipse (a) When the s shadow falls on the (b) Happens when comes between and (c) Only during the phase of the moon (2) Lunar eclipse (a) When the s shadow falls on the (b) Happens when comes between and (c) Only during the phase of the moon
(3) Phases (a) Be able to name the phase from a diagram (b) The phase at location C is (c) Be able to draw the phase at a particular time on a diagram (d) The phase at location D looks like: (e) Be able to name the phase given a picture (f) This image is (g) Time for one full lunar cycle is (4) Tides (a) Caused by gravitational pull of and, but mainly because it s (b) Strongest tides (greatest difference between high & low) are called tides & happen at and moons (c) Weakest tides (smallest difference between high & low) are called tides & happen at and moons 4) Meteorology (Chapters 17-21) a) Tools: anemometer, barometer, sling psychrometer, thermometer, wind vane [be able to recognize them & identify what they measure] b) Water cycle (including infiltration, runoff, transpiration, evaporation, condensation, precipitation) c) Atmosphere & Winds i) Heat budget (what if more heat enters than leaves OR if more heat leaves than enters) ii) What happens to winds around high & low pressure areas in N. Hemisphere iii) How does wind flow: L H or H L? iv) Read isotherm & isobar maps v) What kind of weather do you expect at a low pressure? What about a high pressure? vi) How humans affect ozone depletion & climate change d) Climate & Weather i) Climate controls [latitude, elevation, distance from water, rain shadow effect] ii) How clouds form iii) Precipitation types iv) Types of fronts v) Read weather map e) Greenhouse effect: caused by & result is f) Ozone layer: useful b/c it protects Earth from. Hole caused by
5) Minerals (Chapter 5) a) Mineral, Crystal, Mineralogy, Crystal structure, Cleavage, Fracture, Luster, Color, Streak, Hardness b) What are the characteristics of a mineral? Be able to determine whether something is a mineral or not, based on these characteristics. c) Be able to identify tools for testing for streak, hardness, & specific gravity. d) Be able to identify a mineral using a chart & various tools. e) Distinguish between cleavage and fracture. f) Distinguish between metallic and non-metallic luster. g) What are two most common ELEMENTS in Earth s crust? h) What group of minerals is the largest? Favorite Words Abundant Distinguish Manipulate Skeptic/skepticism Predominant Variable / Vary Practice What is the contour interval of this map? What is the distance between point C and point D? What compass direction would Fish Creek flow? What could be a possible elevation of point X? Draw the profile for line A-B.
Which location has the greatest air pressure: A, B, C or D? Which location has the lowest air pressure: A, B, C or D? Which location has the steepest slope: A, B, C or D? Which location would have the greatest wind speed: A, B, C or D? Which location would have the most cloud cover: A, B, C or D? [Hint: do you form clouds at high pressure or low pressure?] What tool would you use to determine air pressure? What is the formula for density? What is the volume of this sphere at right? If the mass of this sphere were 10g, what would its density be? Use the image below to answer the following questions. Which object has the greatest density? Which object has the lowest density? Which object has a density of 1.0 g/ml? If you compressed object D, what would happen to its density? Use the graph at right to answer the following questions. After 1 half-life has elapsed, what percent of the parent element remains? How many half-lives have elapsed if 25% of the parent element is remaining? Conversions 1.234 m = cm = mm 23,051,000 mg = g = kg