Stars & The Sun
Which colors of stars are the hottest? The coolest?
Hottest is Blue, Coolest is Red
What is astronomy?
The study of space, the universe, and the celestial objects it contains (planets, stars, etc.)
List the rocky and jovian planets.
rocky: mercury, venus, earth, mars
jovian: saturn, jupiter, uranus, neptune
What is a mineral?
Naturally-formed solid substance with a crystal structure
In what type of rock are most fossils found?
sedimentary
How does the Sun produce its energy?
Nuclear fusion (hydrogen atoms smash together forming helium)
Explain the difference between heliocentrism and geocentrism
Heliocentrism - sun is the center of the universe
Geocentrism - earth is the center of the universe
How long does it take Earth to make 1 rotation and 1 revolution?
1 rotation - 24 hours
1 revolution - 365 days
What are some ways that geologists can identify minerals?
color, streak, hardness, texture, fracture/cleavage
What are the (4) periods of time from largest to smallest?
Eon, era, period, epoch
What is an HR Diagram?
a diagram used to classify stars based off of their temperature and luminosity
What did Sir Isaac Newton discover?
Gravity
What are the main differences between rocky planets and jovian planets?
The inner planets are all made of rocky material and have thin atmospheres dominated by carbon dioxide or nitrogen.
The outer planets are all made of gas and ice and have atmospheres composed mainly of hydrogen and helium
Explain the differences between intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks
intrusive forms below the surface of the earth (magma), extrusive forms above the surface of the earth (lava)
Explain the law of superposition.
Oldest layers of rock are at the bottom and youngest are at the top.
What is the difference between apparent and absolute magnitude?
Apparent - how it looks from Earth
Absolute - what it actually looks like
What did Galileo contribute to astronomy?
He constructed the first modern telescope, proved that the universe did not orbit around Earth
What are the different phases of the moon? (8 total)
New moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent
What are the (5) processes that cause a rock to change?
compaction/cementation, melting, cooling, heat/pressure, weathering/erosion
Explain the difference between relative dating and absolute dating.
relative dating is based off of a fossil's location in the layers, absolute dating is a fossil's actual age in years
Explain the life cycle of a massive star (significantly larger than our Sun)
Nebula, Protostar, Main Sequence, Red Supergiant, Supernova, either Black Hole or Neutron Star.
What are Kepler's (3) laws of planetary motion?
1. planets move in an ellipse, 2. A planet moves faster when closest to the Sun and slower when farthest from the Sun, 3. Distant planets orbit the Sun at slower average speeds than planets located closer to the Sun.
Explain the difference between a lunar eclipse and a solar eclipse (where are the sun, moon, earth positioned)
lunar: sun, earth, moon (moon passes into Earth's shadow)
solar: sun, moon, Earth (moon fully blocks the sun)
How does each type of rock form? (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic)
igneous - magma/lava cooling
sedimentary - layers of sediment getting compacted and cemented together
metamorphic - heat and pressure causes rocks to change
What can fossils tell us about Earth's geologic history?
They give clues about organisms that have lived before us
Provide evidence about how Earth’s surface has changed over time
Help scientists understand what past environments may have been like