Name Date 5/18/2021 Period_2A
NC Final Exam Study Guide (Units 1-9: Physical Geology, Plate
Tectonics, Earth History, Environmental Geology, Hydrology,
Meteorology, Climatology, Ecology, Astronomy)
Smartprep Examinations
Since 2010
Objectives 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4:
Explain the Earth’s role as a body in space:
1. Indicate the process that is responsible for the following aspects of the Earth:
a. Day and Night (24 hours): We get day and night because the Earth spins (or rotates) on an imaginary line called
its axis and different parts of the planet are facing towards the Sun or away from it. It takes 24 hours for the
world to turn all the way around, and we call this a day
b. A Year (365 days): A year is the amount of time it takes a planet to orbit its star one time.
c. Change in the direction of the axis but no change in tilt, only affects the stars:
d. Wobbling of the axis over an 18 year period: Axial precession
e. The center of mass that 2 or more bodies revolve around (Moon around Earth, Earth around sun): The barycenter
2. Answer the following about Earth’s hierarchy in the universe:
a. What make up the universe? The Universe is thought to consist of three types of substance: ordinary matter,
'dark
matter, and 'dark energy. Normal matter consists of the atoms that make up stars, planets, human beings, and
every other visible object in the Universe
b. What make up galaxies? Galaxies are sprawling systems of dust, gas, dark matter, and anywhere from a million
to a trillion stars that are held together by gravity.
c. What revolve around stars? All of the planets in our solar system revolve around the Sun.
d. What revolve around planets? The sun
3. Who discovered the 3 laws of planetary motion? Johannes Kepler. The three laws state:
a. The planet orbits in an elliptical shape. The sun is at one focus. The second focus is not needed
because of the sun's mass & gravity.
b. A planet spends an equal amount of time [in its orbit] perihelion & aphelion.
c. How long it takes a planet to orbit the sun is related to how far the plant is from the sun, like a
track
4. What is Earth’s shape? Why does Earth take this shape? Is the circumference greater at the poles or equator?
, The Earth is a sphere. The Earth's orbital path is not a perfect circle but rather an ellipse, which means
that it is like a slight oval in shape. As the Earth's shape is an oblate spheroid, the diameter is different at
the equator and the poles. Since the diameter at the equator is greater than the diameter at the poles
hence, the circumference of the great circle at the equator is the greatest.
5. Fill in the following chart on tides and seasons:
Tides Seasons
Causes Gravity is one major force that creates Earth's tilted axis causes the seasons.
tides.
NC Final Exam Study Guide (Units 1-9: Physical Geology, Plate
Tectonics, Earth History, Environmental Geology, Hydrology,
Meteorology, Climatology, Ecology, Astronomy)
Smartprep Examinations
Since 2010
Objectives 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4:
Explain the Earth’s role as a body in space:
1. Indicate the process that is responsible for the following aspects of the Earth:
a. Day and Night (24 hours): We get day and night because the Earth spins (or rotates) on an imaginary line called
its axis and different parts of the planet are facing towards the Sun or away from it. It takes 24 hours for the
world to turn all the way around, and we call this a day
b. A Year (365 days): A year is the amount of time it takes a planet to orbit its star one time.
c. Change in the direction of the axis but no change in tilt, only affects the stars:
d. Wobbling of the axis over an 18 year period: Axial precession
e. The center of mass that 2 or more bodies revolve around (Moon around Earth, Earth around sun): The barycenter
2. Answer the following about Earth’s hierarchy in the universe:
a. What make up the universe? The Universe is thought to consist of three types of substance: ordinary matter,
'dark
matter, and 'dark energy. Normal matter consists of the atoms that make up stars, planets, human beings, and
every other visible object in the Universe
b. What make up galaxies? Galaxies are sprawling systems of dust, gas, dark matter, and anywhere from a million
to a trillion stars that are held together by gravity.
c. What revolve around stars? All of the planets in our solar system revolve around the Sun.
d. What revolve around planets? The sun
3. Who discovered the 3 laws of planetary motion? Johannes Kepler. The three laws state:
a. The planet orbits in an elliptical shape. The sun is at one focus. The second focus is not needed
because of the sun's mass & gravity.
b. A planet spends an equal amount of time [in its orbit] perihelion & aphelion.
c. How long it takes a planet to orbit the sun is related to how far the plant is from the sun, like a
track
4. What is Earth’s shape? Why does Earth take this shape? Is the circumference greater at the poles or equator?
, The Earth is a sphere. The Earth's orbital path is not a perfect circle but rather an ellipse, which means
that it is like a slight oval in shape. As the Earth's shape is an oblate spheroid, the diameter is different at
the equator and the poles. Since the diameter at the equator is greater than the diameter at the poles
hence, the circumference of the great circle at the equator is the greatest.
5. Fill in the following chart on tides and seasons:
Tides Seasons
Causes Gravity is one major force that creates Earth's tilted axis causes the seasons.
tides.
