Earth Layers
What are the four main layers of the Earth?
The four main layers are the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core.
What is a wave?
A wave is a way energy moves from one place to another without moving matter the whole distance.
What are tectonic plates?
Tectonic plates are giant pieces of Earth's crust that fit together like a puzzle and slowly move.
What does "Earth's structure" mean?
Earth's structure is how the planet is organized into layers, like the crust, mantle, and core.
What is a half-life?
A half-life is the amount of time it takes for half of the atoms in a radioactive substance to break down or decay.
Which layer do tectonic plates belong to?
Tectonic plates are part of the Earth's crust.
What are the two main kinds of waves?
Mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves.
What causes tectonic plates to move?
Heat inside the Earth makes the mantle flow and pushes the plates around.
What is a tectonic plate?
A tectonic plate is a huge, solid piece of Earth's crust that moves slowly on the mantle.
Does the half-life of a radioactive material ever change?
No, the half-life always stays the same for a specific material.
Which layer of the Earth is the thickest?
The mantle is the thickest layer of the Earth.
What is the crest of a wave?
The crest is the highest point of the wave.
What can happen when two plates collide?
When plates crash together, they can make mountains or cause earthquakes.
What are faults?
Faults are breaks or cracks in Earth's crust where rocks can move past each other.
Why do scientists use half-lives?
Scientists use half-lives to figure out how old things like rocks and fossils are.
What is the Earth's core mostly made of?
The core is mostly made of iron and nickel.
What does wavelength mean?
Wavelength is the distance from one crest to the next crest.
What is a transform boundary?
A transform boundary is where two plates slide past each other.
How are most mountains formed?
Most mountains form when tectonic plates collide and push the land upward.
If you have 100 grams of a substance with a half-life of 4 years, how much is left after 4 years?
After 4 years (one half-life), there would be 50 grams left.
What is the main difference between the outer core and the inner core?
The outer core is liquid and the inner core is solid.
How does wave frequency relate to energy?
Waves with higher frequency have more energy.
What are the 3 plate boundarys?
Divergent boundary, Convergent boundary, and Transform boundary.
What is the main difference between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere?
The lithosphere is the rigid outer layer, and the asthenosphere is the softer layer below it that allows the plates to move.
If a substance has a half-life of 3 years, how much is left after 6 years?
After 6 years (two half-lives), only 25 grams would be left if you started with 100 grams.