Waves
The Rock Cycle
Plate Tectonics & Continental Drift
Ocean & Atmosphere
Forces & Energies
Ecosystems
Climate Change
100
This term describes the full range of light waves, from radio waves to gamma rays, that travel at the speed of light.
Electromagnetic (EM) Spectrum
100
Why is the rock cycle a "cycle" and not just a linear process with a clear start and end.
Because rocks continuously change from one type to another over time, with no fixed beginning or end.
100
The scientific theory that Earth’s crust is split into moving plates.
Plate Tectonics
100
The name given to the circulation of deep ocean currents due to differences in density driven by differences in temperature and salinity.
Thermohaline Circulation
100
The reason a crumpled paper falls faster than a flat one.
Air resistance
100
The variety of life in an ecosystem (includes different species, genes, and habitats).
Biodiversity
100
Gases in the atmosphere that trap heat, preventing it from escaping into space. Examples are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, etc.
Greenhouse gases
200
The equation for energy of a wave.
Energy = (Amplitude)2
200
These preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms are often found in sedimentary rock.
Fossils
200
The name given to Earth's supercontinent before it broke apart.
Pangea
200
Drives convection of deep ocean currents and air masses.
Uneven heating of the Earth by the sun (due to the curvature of the rounded Earth).
200
The sum of potential and kinetic energy
Mechanical energy
200
Organisms that only eat plants; organisms that only eat meat; organisms that eat both
Herbivore; Carnivore; Omnivore
200
The main three greenhouse gases released by human activities.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
300
The difference between the two main wave types: electromagnetic and mechanical
Mechanical waves like sound waves need a medium to travel through, while electromagnetic waves like light, do not.
300
This rock type can become metamorphic if buried deep enough, then melt into magma if heated further.
Any type of rock.
300
How does the Law of Superposition help geologists determine the relative ages of rock layers?
The oldest rocks in an undisturbed rock layer are on the bottom
300
The movement of hot water/air __________ while cold water/air ____________.
Rises; Sinks
300
The type of energy stored in a stretched rubber band.
Potential Energy
300
Organisms that break down dead matter into nutrients, like fungi
Decomposers
300
The term for when oceans absorb CO₂ and become more acidic, harming marine life.
Ocean acidification
400
A high frequency wave has __________ energy than a low frequency wave and a ______ wavelength.
More; shorter
400
This step in the rock cycle turns solid rock into magma.
Melting
400
The mechanism behind continental drift and plate tectonics
Convection in Earth's mantle
400
This gas makes up ~78% of Earth’s atmosphere, while this other gas makes up ~21%
Nitrogen; Oxygen
400
The law that describes how an object accelerates or takes damage based on its mass and the force applied.
F=MA
Newton's Second Law
400
A polar bear hunting seals or a bear hunting salmon are examples of this ecological relationship where one organism eats another.
Predator-Prey Relationship or Predation
400
When air and water are heated, the particles that make them up do this.
Expand; spread out; take up more space
500
Energy of a wave is determined by _________
Amplitude and Frequency
500
The difference between weathering, erosion, and deposition
Weathering: Rocks break
Erosion: Rocks are moved
Deposition: Rocks are dropped in a new location
500
Name the 3 plate boundaries:
1. Plates push together
2. Plates pull apart
3. Plates slide past each other
1. Convergent
2. Divergent
3. Transform
500
This layer of the atmosphere absorbs harmful UV radiation.
Ozone Layer (O3)
500
The Law that states: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction / the reason your hand hurts when you punch something.
Newton's Third Law of Motion
500
Organisms that produce their own food, like plants through photosynthesis.
Producers
500
Sea level rise is caused by climate change for these 2 reasons.
Melting of land based ice and thermal expansion of ocean water.
600
Wave #1 has an amplitude of 5cm and Wave #2 has an amplitude of 10cm. How many times greater is Wave #1?
E=A2
E1 = 52 =25
E2 = 102 = 100
How many times greater = 25/100 = 1/4 or 0.25
600
Rock 1 formed from cooled lava and magma, Rock 2 was an existing rock exposed to heat and pressure, and Rock 3 was formed by the build up and compaction of sediments. What type of rock is each?
Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary
600
These five natural events are caused by plate movements
Volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, mid-ocean ridges, and mountain formations
600
How much of the Earth's atmosphere is CO2?
Less than 1%
Today: 0.042%
100 Years Ago: 0.030%
600
The law that states: An object in motion stays in motion unless a force acts on it
Inertia, Newtons First Law
600
The process where algae and phytoplankton produce 50-70% of Earth’s oxygen.
Photosynthesis
600
How do melting glaciers like those on Greenland and Antarctica affect the thermohaline circulation?
Melting glaciers adds freshwater to naturally salty water, changing the densities in the ocean and weakening the thermohaline circulation.