Branches of Earth Science
This branch studies Earth’s solid materials, rocks, and landforms.
Geology
An educated guess is called a ____.
Hypothesis
Tool used to measure liquid volume.
Graduated cylinder
The sphere that contains all life.
Biosphere
Technology improves our ability to study Earth.
True
The study of oceans, tides, and currents.
Oceanography
The variable that you change in an experiment.
Independent variable
The SI unit for temperature.
Kelvin (°K)
The solid outer part of Earth (land, rocks, soil).
Lithosphere/Geosphere
The long-term average of weather conditions in an area.
Climate
This branch studies Earth’s atmosphere, including weather and climate.
Meteorology
The factor kept constant in an experiment.
Control/controlled variables
Prefix “milli–” means this fraction of a whole unit.
1/1,000
The sphere that contains water on Earth.
Hydrosphere
Which branch would study ancient fossils?
Paleontology (a sub-branch of Geology)
The study of the universe beyond Earth.
Astronomy
The last step in the scientific method, where scientists share their results.
Communicating results
This tool is used to measure the mass of an object.
Balance (or scale)
The gases surrounding Earth make up this sphere.
Atmosphere
Give two technologies meteorologists use to study the atmosphere.
Radar, satellites, weather balloons, automated weather stations (any two)
Name the four main branches of Earth science.
Geology, Oceanography, Meteorology, Astronomy
Why is repetition important in scientific experiments?
It ensures results are reliable and reduces error.
Explain the difference between qualitative and quantitative observations.
Qualitative = descriptions (color, texture, smell); Quantitative = numbers and measurements.
Name all four spheres and give one example of each.
Atmosphere (air, oxygen), Hydrosphere (oceans, rivers), Lithosphere (mountains, rocks), Biosphere (plants, animals).
Why is Earth science important for society?
It helps us predict natural disasters, manage resources, protect the environment, and understand Earth’s systems.