PHSC 210 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS LATEST EDITION GRADED A+
at is the definition of Earth Science?
Earth science is the study of Earth and of the universe around it. It includes geology,
oceanology, meteorology and astronomy.
What are the sub-disciplines of earth science?
GEOLOGY- the study of the origin, history, processes, and structure of the solid Earth
METEOROLOGY- the study of the Earth's atmosphere
OCEANOGRAPHY-the study of the Earth's oceans
ASTRONOMY- the study of the universe beyond Earth
Be able to name and define each of the earth's "spheres".
GEOSPHERE- the mostly solid part of the Earth
HYDROSPHERE- the whole water-covered region of Earth (excluding the
vapor/gaseous water)
ATMOSPHERE- the blanket of gases surrounding the Earth's surface
BIOSPHERE- one of the four subdivisions of Earth that contains all of the forms of life
on Earth
How much of the earth's surface is covered by oceans?
71%
What are the compositional layers of the earth?
CRUST- the thin, solid, outermost zone of Earth
MANTLE- the layer that underlies the crust
CORE- the center of Earth; there is the inner and the outer cores
BE ABLE TO DEFINE THE FOLLOWING TERMS.
SYSTEM
HYPOTHESIS
THEORY
SCIENTIFIC LAW
SYSTEM- an organized group of related objects or components that interact.
HYPOTHESIS- a possible explanation or solution to a problem.
THEORY- an explanation that is consistent with all existing tests and observations
SCIENTIFIC LAW. Is a basic principle that describes a particular behavior of nature that
is generally narrow in scope and can be stated briefly- often as a simple mathematical
, equation? Because scientific laws have been shown time and time again to be constant
with observations and measurements, they are rarely discarded. Laws may however,
require modifications to fit new findings.
What are the two broad types into which resources in the earth are typically
divided?
Renewable- Materials that are continually being replaced and will not run out. Plants
animals, food, fibers for clothing, forest products for paper.
Non-renewable- Cannot be replaced or takes hundreds of years to do so. Once you
used it up, it is gone. Natural gas aluminum iron, copper, fuels, coal. Things that can run
out.
Define the scientific method.
The process just described in which researchers gathers facts through observations and
formulate scientific hypothesis and theories is often referred to as scientific method.
What are the two sources of energy that power the earth system?
The sun drives external process that occur in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and at
earth's surface. Weather and climate oceans circulation and erosional process are
driven by energy from the sun.
The earth's interior is the second source of energy. Heat remaining from when our
planet formed and heat that is continounisly generated by radioactive decay power the
internal process that produce volcanos, earthquakes and mountains.
Know the definition of a mineral.
A natural solid that can form by inorganic processes and that has a crystal structure and
a definite chemical composition.
Know the basic definition of a rock.
Simply a rock is any solid mass of mineral, or mineral like matter that occurs naturally
as part of our planet. Most rocks occur in aggregates of several different minerals.
Know how atoms of the same element are related. What do they have in
common?
The simplest atoms have only one proton in their nuclei, whereas others have more
than 100. The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, called the atomic number,
defines its chemical nature. All atoms with the same number of protons have the same
chemical and physical properties. Together, a group of the same kind of atoms is called
an element. There are about 90 naturally occurring elements and several more that
have been synthesized in the laboratory.
KNOW THE DEFINITION OF THE FOLLOWING.
VALENCE ELECTRONS
ATOMS
ELEMENT
ION
at is the definition of Earth Science?
Earth science is the study of Earth and of the universe around it. It includes geology,
oceanology, meteorology and astronomy.
What are the sub-disciplines of earth science?
GEOLOGY- the study of the origin, history, processes, and structure of the solid Earth
METEOROLOGY- the study of the Earth's atmosphere
OCEANOGRAPHY-the study of the Earth's oceans
ASTRONOMY- the study of the universe beyond Earth
Be able to name and define each of the earth's "spheres".
GEOSPHERE- the mostly solid part of the Earth
HYDROSPHERE- the whole water-covered region of Earth (excluding the
vapor/gaseous water)
ATMOSPHERE- the blanket of gases surrounding the Earth's surface
BIOSPHERE- one of the four subdivisions of Earth that contains all of the forms of life
on Earth
How much of the earth's surface is covered by oceans?
71%
What are the compositional layers of the earth?
CRUST- the thin, solid, outermost zone of Earth
MANTLE- the layer that underlies the crust
CORE- the center of Earth; there is the inner and the outer cores
BE ABLE TO DEFINE THE FOLLOWING TERMS.
SYSTEM
HYPOTHESIS
THEORY
SCIENTIFIC LAW
SYSTEM- an organized group of related objects or components that interact.
HYPOTHESIS- a possible explanation or solution to a problem.
THEORY- an explanation that is consistent with all existing tests and observations
SCIENTIFIC LAW. Is a basic principle that describes a particular behavior of nature that
is generally narrow in scope and can be stated briefly- often as a simple mathematical
, equation? Because scientific laws have been shown time and time again to be constant
with observations and measurements, they are rarely discarded. Laws may however,
require modifications to fit new findings.
What are the two broad types into which resources in the earth are typically
divided?
Renewable- Materials that are continually being replaced and will not run out. Plants
animals, food, fibers for clothing, forest products for paper.
Non-renewable- Cannot be replaced or takes hundreds of years to do so. Once you
used it up, it is gone. Natural gas aluminum iron, copper, fuels, coal. Things that can run
out.
Define the scientific method.
The process just described in which researchers gathers facts through observations and
formulate scientific hypothesis and theories is often referred to as scientific method.
What are the two sources of energy that power the earth system?
The sun drives external process that occur in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and at
earth's surface. Weather and climate oceans circulation and erosional process are
driven by energy from the sun.
The earth's interior is the second source of energy. Heat remaining from when our
planet formed and heat that is continounisly generated by radioactive decay power the
internal process that produce volcanos, earthquakes and mountains.
Know the definition of a mineral.
A natural solid that can form by inorganic processes and that has a crystal structure and
a definite chemical composition.
Know the basic definition of a rock.
Simply a rock is any solid mass of mineral, or mineral like matter that occurs naturally
as part of our planet. Most rocks occur in aggregates of several different minerals.
Know how atoms of the same element are related. What do they have in
common?
The simplest atoms have only one proton in their nuclei, whereas others have more
than 100. The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, called the atomic number,
defines its chemical nature. All atoms with the same number of protons have the same
chemical and physical properties. Together, a group of the same kind of atoms is called
an element. There are about 90 naturally occurring elements and several more that
have been synthesized in the laboratory.
KNOW THE DEFINITION OF THE FOLLOWING.
VALENCE ELECTRONS
ATOMS
ELEMENT
ION
