We all Matter
What is the difference between mixtures and solutions? Give an example of each.
Mixtures are the physical combination of 2 or more things in which each individual component keeps its original physical properties. Mixtures are easy to separate, and you can visually see the individual parts (examples: a fruit salad, trail mix, candy bowl, or a sandwich). Solutions are special types of mixtures that when put together, blend or one dissolves into the other, making the parts unable to easily separate or see (examples: smoothies, soda, lemonade, ketchup).
The length of time Earth takes to complete one rotation.
What is 24 hours?
This provides the energy for the water cycle.
What is the sun?
Explain the difference in how coal, oil, and natural gas are created, and their different uses.
Coal: This fossil fuel is a solid, formed from the remains of ancient swamp plants that were buried by layers of sediment and exposed to lots of heat and pressure over millions of years.
Oil: A thick, black liquid formed from the remains of ancient sea organisms (mostly plankton) that were buried under layers of sediment over millions of years.
Natural Gas: A gas formed with oil from the remains of ancient sea organisms that were buried under layers of sediment over millions of years.
Explain the difference between structures and functions.
Structures are the parts of an organism. These could be our legs, a turtles shell, or a plants roots.
Functions are the uses of these structures--for example legs are for walking/running, a shell is for protection, and plant roots are to take in water.
Define mass, matter, and volume.
Matter is what makes up everything.
Mass is the amount of matter in something (think of it as how heavy something is).
Volume is the amount of space something takes up.
The spinning of the Earth on its axis is called...
What is rotation?
Explain the difference between weather and climate.
Weather is the short-term state of the atmosphere (like temperature, rain, cloudiness, humidity). Climate is the average weather of an area over at least 30+ years.
What is the impact of using Fossil fuels?
Why do we use them?
When looking for fossil fuels (which are buried deep into the ground), we first tend to deforest landscapes, then drill into the ground or the ocean floor, disrupting the natural ecosystem in the area. When burning any fossil fuel, we get a huge release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. This carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps heat, causing global warming and overall climate change. On a global scale, this means more severe weather, droughts, melting of ice caps, sea level rise, coral bleaching, and mass species loss.
We use fossil fuels for energy-for gasoline in cars, for heating homes, for cooking. Also to make plastic.
This shows how energy flows from one organism to another within an ecosystem. The energy starts at the sun.
What is a Food Web?
Explain density and relative density.
Density is the amount of matter/mass an object has in relation to its size/volume. For example, a bowling ball has MORE density than a beach ball. There is more "stuff" inside (it is heavier) in comparison to its size.
Relative density is the density of an object in relation to water. Meaning if it sinks -- the object has MORE density than water. If an object floats, it has LESS density than water.
One trip around the sun is called a ___________. It takes ________ long for Earth.
A revolution. It takes 365.24 days.
The three processes that change/create landforms. In other words, they're married! -- W.E.D.
**Also define them**
Weathering, erosion, and deposition.
Weathering: The breaking down of land/rock into smaller bits of sediment
Erosion: the moving of sediment
Deposition: the dropping off of sediment in a new place to build up new landforms
What year do we, globally, need to be at a net-zero for fossil fuel use in order to limit the impact of climate change to 1.5 degrees C of warming?
To limit global warming to 1.5°C, the world needs to achieve net-zero fossil fuel emissions by 2050, with significant reductions starting immediately and accelerated by 2030
When thinking about traits, your eye color is an example of this, sleeping is an example of this, while riding a bike is an example of this.
eye color = inherited physical trait/structure
sleeping = inherited behavior = instinct
riding a bike= learned behavior
Define conductor AND insulator.
Give me 3 examples of each.
A conductor will allow heat or electricity to easily pass through it, while an insulator will stop or slow down the flow of energy.
Examples of conductors: metal, frying pan, wires, water.
Examples of insulators: socks, cotton, rubber, plastic, glass, wood
These two celestial bodies have little in common, although they are fairly close to each other. One has an atmosphere and lots of water and living things, the other has no atmosphere and many craters on the surface.
What are the Earth and Moon?
Explain the impact that taking a hawk out of a forest ecosystem will have.
When removing the hawk, first their prey will begin to overpopulate (things like mice, rabbits, snakes, grasshoppers). When the prey overpopulates, their prey will then decrease due to overconsumption (for example, the grass may begin to be eaten up by all the mice and rabbits). Once the rabbits' food starts to disappear due to overeating, then the rabbit's population will begin to decrease as well. Overall, everything within that ecosystem will be impacted by only one thing (the hawk) being removed.
Explain how sedimentary rocks are formed.
The sediment for these rocks originate from the weathering, erosion, and deposition of existing rocks. As more sediment accumulates, the weight of the overlying layers compresses the lower layers, called compaction. Dissolved minerals in the water then fill in the remaining spaces between the sediment, binding the sediment particles together, called cementation. This process may take millions of years!
The 3 parts/things/classifications for organisms in a food web are...
**Also define them**
Producers, consumers, decomposers.
Producers: produce their own food through photosynthesis from the energy from the sun. These are always plants!
Consumers: consume other things (either plants or other animals) to gain energy, these are always animals!
Decomposers: break down dead organic material (plants or animals) to gain energy and return nutrients back to the soil to allow for new plants to grow.
Define reflection AND refraction.
Reflection is the bouncing of light off a shiny surface, such as a mirror.
Refraction is the bending of light when it goes through another substance (such as from air to water).
I hike up to the top of a mountain in Texas and am looking this way to view the sunrise. In the car, on my way back home, I look this way to view the sunset.
(Hint: North, West, East, or South)
What is East for sunrise and West for sunset?
Explain deforestation, as well as why we do it and the impacts.
Deforestation is the mass cutting down of original, native forests/tress. We do this to clear land for infrastructure and farming. The impacts include species loss due to habitat loss and food web disruption, less oxygen being produced, less carbon-dioxide being taken in by the tress (more climate change), more flooding in the area--can create more runoff.
Explain the difference between renewable sources of energy and non-renewable sources of energy. Give examples!
Renewable sources of energy are sources that we can continually use sustainably without risk of running out (and that do not pollute the Earth as much as nonrenewable sources). Examples include wind and solar power. Nonrenewable energy is made from sources that are limited--meaning we WILL run out eventually, like fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas). Nonrenewables also put TONS of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, causing a huge list of problems, including climate change.
How can we, as humans, reduce our impact on climate change? Give at least 5 examples.
Limit our fossil fuel use, this includes reducing gasoline use -- walking/biking around more. This can also mean turning down the AC/heating.
Recycling and reusing our products--this limits the amount of new things we make as a society--fewer trees being cut down for wood/paper, and fewer new things being made.
Reducing our consumption of goods--Limiting the amount of new products we buy -- since new products usually are made in factories that use coal and may be made from plastics or other new materials, which need to be transported around the world, using more fossil fuels.
Limiting deforestation since trees take in carbon dioxide which would help reduce climate change-- this means not supporting companies that deforest land (big ones are palm oil and animal agriculture).
Saving on electricity -- this saves fossil fuels! turning off lights that aren't needed, unplugging this, and turning off the TV when not in use.
Buying sustainable products instead of plastic ones--plastic uses fossil fuels to make
Donating to groups that save natural forests--this helps more trees take in carbon dioxide!
Plant more gardens!