The Solar System
How many planets are in the solar system?
8
What are the three main parts of the water cycle?
precipitation, evaporation, condensation
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is the day to day conditions and climate is the average conditions of an area.
What is extreme weather? Give an example
Extreme weather is any weather that falls out of the the realm of normal patterns. For example: floods, lighting storms, hurricanes, tornadoes
What is a natural disaster? Name 3
Natural events that can cause great damage.
Volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis
Name all the planets in order. (100 bonus points if you can categorize the inner and outer planets)
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
What happens to a water puddle on a sunny day?
The sun heats the water, causing it to evaporate and become water vapor. That causes the puddle to dry up. The water vapor then rises up into the atmosphere, where it may condense and eventually fall back down to earth as rain.
Why would you put on shorts and a t-shirts in July before looking at the daily weather?
The climate in July is usually hot and sunny in this area.
Can humans get rid of extreme weather?
No. Humans cannot eliminate extreme weather, but they can work to reduce the impact of extreme weather.
What do volcanoes and tsunamis have in common?
Both natural disasters are caused by movement in tectonic plates.
Put these in order from smallest to biggest: the sun, the universe, a planet, the solar system, the galaxy
a planet, the sun, the solar system, the galaxy, the universe
Explain what happens in all parts of the water cycle.
Precipitation is when water falls to Earth
Evaporation is when liquid water turns into a gas (water vapor) and rises
Condensation is when the water vapor turns back into a liquid in clouds
Name one instrument used to measure weather and what it does.
barometer (air pressure)
rain gauge (rain fall)
thermometer (temperature)
anemometer (measures wind speed and direction)
What are some engineering solutions for floods? You may draw a a picture to explain your thinking.
Cities can build tall sea barriers that return water back to the oceans instead of crashing onto the buildings.
What are tectonic plates?
Tectonic plates are puzzle like pieces of large, moving slabs of rock that make up the planet's outer layer.
What force holds the solar system together?
Gravity
Does water become cleaner when it evaporates? Why or why not?
Yes, generally, water becomes cleaner when it evaporates. Particles in water typically do not evaporate into vapor when water does, so particles are left behind when water vapor rises.
If you had a friend visiting from another country, what type of clothes would you tell them to pack if they plan to visit in the middle of January? Why?
I would tell my friend to pack mainly warm clothes and closed toe shoes. I would maybe tell them to pack 1 pair of shorts and a couple t shirts just in case the weather warms up and day or two. Usually in January, the weather is pretty cold, but can warm up enough for shorts.
How do lighting rods help reduce the impact of lighting storms?
lighting rods redirect the electrical energy into the ground.
In places with earthquakes, is it safer to make a building tall or short? Why?
Short buildings would be safer to be in during an earthquake because there would be less material to fall on you in case the building collapsed. Also, if you needed to evacuate, it would be easier to escape a shorter building verses a taller building.
Why is Pluto not a planet?
Pluto is not a planet because it does not meet the requirements to be a planet: it's too small, and a few other requirements it is missing.
How are we affected by the water cycle?
*answers may vary*
How does weather affect your day to day life?
*answers may vary*
What are some negative impacts of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and lighting storms?
property damage, injury, loss of life.
How can humans reduce the impact and damage of volcanic erruptions?
Aside from having a evacuation plan, houses can be built with steep roofs to help ash fall off instead of building up.