Sun-Moon-Earth System/Solar system
What force keeps planets orbiting the Sun?
Gravity
What is the outermost layer of Earth called?
Crust (compositional layers)
Lithosphere (mechanical/physical properties)
What process moves water from Earth's surface into the atmosphere?
Evaporation (liquid water turns into gas when heated)
What is the main energy source for all processes on Earth?
the Sun (provides radiation warming the atmosphere --trapped by greenhouse effect-- so that the planet is habitable).
Which gas that contributes to global warming is produced in all combustion reactions?
Carbon dioxide (CO2); all combustion reactions take the form: CxHy (fuel) + O2 --> H2O + CO2 + leftover fuel
What causes day and night on Earth?
Earth's rotation about its axis.
What process forms igneous rock from melted material?
Cooling and solidification of magma or lava.
Which process returns water from the atmosphere to Earth as rain/snow?
Precipitation
Why do warm air masses tend to rise in the atmosphere?
Warm air is less dense than cold air.
Which term describes cutting down large areas of forest and what is the effect on the environment?
Deforestation; loss of habitats, cutting trees so more CO2 is left in the atmosphere, leading to global warming.
Why do different constellations appear in the night sky during different seasons?
Earth moves around the Sun (revolution/orbiting Sun), changing which direction we face on Earth in space.
What causes earthquakes and volcanoes?
Plate tectonics shifting (converging and diverging)
Which gas do plants take in from the atmosphere during photosynthesis in the carbon cycle?
How have satellites improved weather forecasting?
How can fertilizers running into a water source affect the water negatively?
Eutrophication; fertilizers cause algae to grow out of control (algal blooms) and when the algae die, bacteria eat the algae, using up all the oxygen, creating anoxic/hypoxic (no oxygen or low oxygen environments = dead zones) so that fish cannot survive and ecosystems collapse.
What causes a lunar eclipse?
The Earth, Sun, and moon are aligned with the Earth in between blocking the Sun from shining on the moon.
How are ocean ridges formed?
Tectonic plates move apart (away from each other) and magma flows up and cools, creating a ridge.
Why are decomposers important in the nitrogen and carbon cycles?
They break down dead organisms and return nutrients to the environment (cycling matter and the atoms so they can be used again).
Why can meteorologists make more accurate forecasts today than in the past?
Improved technology, satellites, radar, and computer modeling.
Why does burning fossil fuels negative impact Earth's climate?
Burning fossil fuels releases CO2 and other greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, warming the climate, which makes it difficult for animals to survive.
Why is it summer in the Northern Hemisphere when Earth is tilted toward the Sun? What season is it at the same time in the Southern Hemisphere?
The hemisphere receives more direct sunlight and longer daylight hours.
When the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing summer, the Southern Hemisphere is experiencing winter.
Why are earthquakes most common along tectonic plate boundaries?
Stress builds up where the plates exert pressure on each other and releases suddenly creating a fault.
How are the carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen cycles connected to living organisms?
Organisms use and release these elements during processes like respiration, photosynthesis, and decomposition.
Give 3 examples of greenhouse gases and describe what they do.
CO2, H2O, CH4, N2O, O3; they have lots of modes of vibration (different ways they can wobble, when they wobble they are moving so they are trapping heat, warming the Earth's atmosphere)
What types of solutions could be used to reduce human impact on climate change?
Reducing our use of fossil fuels; shifting to the use of renewable resources like solar, geothermal, hydroelectric dams, or wind power.