Earth Patterns & Processes
Why does the sun appear brighter than other stars?
Because the sun is much closer to Earth than other stars.
Describe how energy from the sun ends up in a hawk’s body.
Sun → plants (photosynthesis) → small animals (eat plants) → hawk (eats small animals); energy is transferred at each step.
A flashlight shines on a solar panel, causing a fan to spin. What energy transfer is happening?
Light energy is converted to electrical energy, then to motion energy in the fan.
A sealed plastic bag contains ice cubes. After the ice melts, the bag is weighed again. What should you observe about the mass, and what does this show about matter?
The mass stays the same, showing that matter is conserved even when it changes state.
What is a “constraint” in an engineering design challenge?
A limit on materials, time, or cost.
Describe the pattern in the length of a flagpole’s shadow during the day.
The shadow is longest in the morning and evening, and shortest at noon.
A rabbit uses its sense of smell to find food, and a frog uses its sense of touch to detect danger. What does this show about animal senses?
Animals use different senses to gather information and respond for survival.
A sound wave with a large amplitude is created by hitting a drum hard. What effect does this have on a paper placed nearby?
The paper may move more than if the drum is hit softly, because a larger amplitude wave has more energy.
You stir salt into water and it seems to disappear. After the water evaporates, salt crystals remain. What does this show about the nature of matter?
Salt is made of tiny particles too small to see when dissolved, but they are still present; matter is made of particles too small to be seen.
You test two water filters. One is faster, but the other makes water clearer. Which would you choose for camping, and why?
The clearer filter, because clean water is safer to drink, even if it’s slower.
A pie chart shows that most of Earth’s water is salt water, with only a small fraction as fresh water. Why is this important for people?
Fresh water is limited and needs to be conserved and protected.
A table shows the mass of a plant before and after several weeks. The mass increases most in a closed container with air and water. What does this suggest about where plant mass comes from?
Plant mass comes mainly from air (carbon dioxide) and water, not soil.
A golf ball is dropped from different heights and bounces higher when dropped from higher up. What does this show about the relationship between speed and energy?
The higher the drop, the greater the speed and energy; more energy means a higher bounce.
A student mixes vinegar and baking soda in a closed container and observes bubbling. The mass before and after is the same. What does this show about chemical reactions and matter?
A new substance (gas) forms, but matter is not lost or gained; mass is conserved in a closed system.
A team designs a lunchbox that keeps food cold for 6 hours but costs too much. What should they do next?
Redesign to use less expensive materials or simplify the design to meet cost constraints.
A canyon has plant fossils in lower layers, shell fossils in middle layers, and mammal bones in top layers. What does this pattern show?
The environment changed from land (plants) to water (shells) and back to land (mammals) over time.
A graph shows the number of insects eaten by birds before and after a pesticide is used. Bird numbers drop after pesticide use. Explain the connection using the data.
Fewer insects mean less food for birds, so bird numbers decrease; the data shows a cause-and-effect relationship.
A table shows the temperature change of water after placing it in sunlight, shade, and under a lamp. Which source transfers the most energy, and how do you know?
The source with the greatest temperature increase transfers the most energy; compare the temperature changes in the table.
At the beach, you mix sand into seawater and stir. Will the sand dissolve? What will you see after a few minutes?
The sand will not dissolve; it will settle at the bottom of the container.
Your class tests three different windmill designs. The data shows one spins fastest but breaks easily. What trade-off does this show?
The fastest design is less durable; sometimes the strongest or most reliable design is better than the fastest.
Describe how the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact to cause erosion during a flood.
Rain (atmosphere) falls on land (geosphere), water (hydrosphere) flows over the land, eroding soil and rocks.
In a closed ecosystem, oxygen levels drop and snails begin to die. Using data on plant growth, snail activity, and decomposer presence, explain what might be causing this change and how the system could be restored.
If plants aren’t producing enough oxygen or decomposers aren’t recycling nutrients, oxygen drops and snails suffer. Restoring plant growth or decomposer activity could help balance the system.
A student designs a device that uses a hand crank to light a bulb and ring a bell. Explain the energy conversions that occur and how you could improve the efficiency of the device.
Motion energy from the crank is converted to electrical energy, then to light and sound. To improve efficiency, reduce friction or use better wires to lose less energy as heat.
Your friend thinks air doesn’t weigh anything. Design a simple experiment using a balloon and a balance to prove air has mass.
Weigh an empty balloon, inflate it, and weigh it again. The inflated balloon will weigh more, showing air has mass.
Describe a fair test to compare three bridge models for strength using only paper and tape.
Build each bridge with the same amount of paper/tape, test by adding weights until breaking, and compare results.