Earth 101
What is the difference between latitude and longitude?
Latitude is the distance north or south of the equator. The invisible lines that run parallel to the equator are latitude.
Longitude is the distance east or west of the prime meridian. These are the invisible lines that run from the north pole to the south pole.
What are the three main kinds of galaxies?
Irregular, elliptical, and spiral.
How does the ocean influence wind patterns near coastal areas?
The differential heating of land and ocean creates coastal breezes
Name all of the phase changes of water. (There are 6)
Melting: solid to liquid. Freezing: liquid to solid.
Condensation: gas to liquid. Evaporation: liquid to gas.
Sublimation: solid to gas. Deposition: gas to solid.
How does upwelling lead to the creation of La Niña?
Upwelling brings cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface, which strengthens the trade winds, creating La Niña conditions.
1) Observation
2) Hypothesis
3) Experiment
4) Accept or Reject Hypothesis
Explain the kinds of waves in the electromagnetic spectrum, starting with the highest frequency (small size, and more energy), to the lowest (big size, and less energy).
Gamma rays, X-rays, UV rays, Visible Light, Infrared rays, Microwaves, Radio waves
What are some of the factors that influence temperature?
Latitude, altitude, cloud cover, ocean currents, uneven heating of land and water, and geographic position.
Explain as many properties of water as you can.
Freezing/Boiling point (0 and 100 degrees Celcius)
Polar Molecule: Cohesion and adhesion: capillary action and surface tension
Universal solvent
Less dense in solid form: floats
What are some of the ways people create freshwater issues?
What are the common rules of the lab?
1) Dress correctly: goggles, close-toed shoes, hair pulled back, no loose clothing or dangling jewelry.
2) No horseplay
3) Read and understand the procedure before starting. Ensure all materials are present.
4) Inform the teacher of any incident such as broken glass or chemical spills. Know the location of the eye wash station and fire extinguisher.
Rotation is turning/spinning on an axis. (Days)
Revolution is motion along a path around some point in space. (Orbit)
Barycenter is the center of mass of two or more bodies that orbit one another.
Precession is the slow cone-shaped rotation of Earth's axis over 26,000 years.
What are the main greenhouse gases?
Water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane.
What are the 2 main kinds of tides, and what causes them?
Neap tide has the smallest difference between high and low tide. It happens when the sun, moon, and Earth are at a right angle to each other.
Spring tide has the largest difference between high and low tide. It happens when the sun, moon, and Earth are in alignment with each other.
Hurricanes form when warm moist air rise into the atmosphere, creating an area of low pressure. Rotation begins do to the Coriolis effect, with hurricanes in the northern hemisphere rotating counterclockwise.
What are the 4 spheres of Earth, and what are some of the ways that they interact?
Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Geosphere, and Biosphere.
Atmosphere and hydrosphere interact to make weather.
Hydrosphere and geosphere interact to cause erosion and deposition.
Biosphere interacts with all other spheres to sustain life.
Name the phases of the moon, in order, starting with the new moon.
New moon, waxing crescent, 1st quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, 3rd quarter, waning crescent, new moon.
How does the color of a surface affect its albedo and thermal energy reflection?
Dark-colored surfaces have low albedo and absorb more thermal energy, while light-colored surfaces have high albedo and reflect more thermal energy.
What causes the currents in the ocean?
Surface currents are caused by uneven heating of the water by the sun, the Coriolis effect, and wind.
Density currents are caused by differences in salinity and temperature.
How to barrier islands form, and why are they important?
Barrier islands form when sandbars continue to build up and become semi-permanent. They are important because they help absorb the energy from wind and waves during storms, and protect the mainland.
Tell me about the three kinds of variables.
Independent variable: The variable we change in an experiment. (Only one at a time.)
Dependent variable: The variable that changes because of the independent variable - the variable we gather data about.
Constant variable: The variables that are kept the same so that the data gathered is accurate.
What are Kepler's 3 laws of planetary motion?
1) Planetary orbits around the sun are in the shape of an ellipse.
2) Law of equal areas: The area swept out by the orbit in a certain time is constant.
3) Law of harmonics: The square of a planet's orbital time is proportional to its average distance from the sun cubed.
What are the layers of the atmosphere, in order, starting from the layer that is closest to the Earth, and what is one notable thing about that layer?
1) Troposphere (Weather happens here)
2) Stratosphere (Ozone Layer)
3) Mesosphere (Meteors burn up)
4) Thermosphere (Auroras)
5) (optional) Exosphere (Space Station/satellites orbit here)
What is ocean acidification, what causes it, and why is it important?
Ocean acidification is caused by carbon dioxide combining with water, lowering the pH of the water. It is important because a lower pH causes many marine animals to have difficulty with the hardness of their shells, and can cause other problems.
How does the sun support life on earth?
Photosynthesis in plants supports the rest of the food chain.
Regulates temps and drives weather, ocean patterns, the water cycle.