Transcript Earth And Space Science

Earth And Space Science
Fall Final Review: 2011
1. Plants on Earth rely upon this portion of the Sun, which radiates
most of the “light” energy.
ANS: Photosphere
2. By what process does the Sun produce its energy?
ANS: Fusion
3. What element is the reactant, and what element is the product
of this fusion on the Sun?
ANS: reactant = hydrogen; product = helium
4. Put these in order from largest to smallest
Solar System
Universe
Star
Galaxy
ANS: Universe; Galaxy; Solar System; Star
Use the following terms to answer the questions:
CMBR
Red Shift
The Big Bang
5. Offer us evidence that the Universe is expanding
ANS: CMBR; Red Shift
6. Most distant light sources from Earth appear red, closer appear
toward the blue end of the EM spectrum.
ANS: Red Shift
7. Supports the Big Bang Theory of Universe Origins
ANS: CMBR
8. One AU is the average distance between Earth and the Sun,
which averages to about 149,500,000 km. What is the distance
in AUs to Venus, which is 108,000,000 km? (round to nearest hundredth)
ANS: .72 AUs
9. Newton’s contribution to Kepler’s elliptical orbit theory was…
ANS: Gravity exerted from a spherical object, when added
to an orbiting object’s tendency to move in a straight line,
will cause said object to travel in an elliptical orbit.
Use the following terms to answer number 10.
Radio
Visible Light
Microwave
Gravity
Ultra Violet
Infrared
Gamma
10.Which of these is NOT from the EM Spectrum?
ANS: Gravity
X-ray
(May use one, more
than one, or all)
11. Explain the Solar Nebular theory of planet and solar system
formation.
ANS: Our solar system formed from a swirling mass of
debris leftover from a super nova. This swirling debris
differentiated by density, with the densest object at the
center (the Sun), and the terrestrial planets accreting
closest to it from the other debris, followed by the gas
giants farthest from the sun.
12. How do scientists think our moon formed?
ANS: Collision with a Mars-sized object
13. When trying to detect extra-solar planets, scientists often use
the wiggle-wobble effect. Describe how this is used.
ANS: When observing stars that might have planets
surrounding them, the star will have a slight wiggle in its
supposedly stationary position as the planet passes close
14. What is the difference between a terrestrial and a jovian
planet?
ANS: A terrestrial planet is dense and rocky, is usually
smaller comparatively, and orbits closer to the sun. A
jovian planet is a gas giant, and it orbits farther from the
sun.
15. Where does most of the atmospheric oxygen on Earth come
from?
ANS: plants
16. What is the missing gas emitted from volcanoes, and thought
to be a part of Earth’s second atmosphere?
ANS: CO2
Use the following list to answer the question:
a. Comet bombardment
c. Cooling surface and torrential rain
b. Collision with Thea
d. Volcanic Outgassing
17. Origin of our moon
ANS: b
18. Origin of our oceans
ANS: a, c, and d
19. Origin of Earth’s second atmosphere
ANS: d
20. Why have the Earth’s continents moved over geologic time?
ANS: Convective energy within the mantle (caused by
fission of radioactive materials within the Earth) drive the
tectonic plates.
21. Methanogens are extremophiles, able to live in the most
inhospitable regions on Earth. They were likely some of the first
organisms to evolve on the planet. Their near extinction was
caused by what?
ANS: The GOE, caused by cyanobacteria producing O2
22. What process was largely responsible for the GOE?
ANS: Photosynthesis
23. Earth’s first atmosphere was largely Hydrogen and Helium.
Where did it come from?
ANS: Gases trapped within the solar nebula forming our
solar system.
24. This molecule protects Earth from incoming solar radiation. Its
formation made the evolution of life on Earth possible. What is it?
ANS: Ozone
Use the following terms to answer the questions below:
Radioactive Dating
Relative Dating
25. Gives you an actual age of a specimen
ANS: Radioactive dating
26. Law of Superposition
ANS: Relative dating
27. Can be used to determine the age of a specimen
ANS: both
28. How can the Law of Inclusions be used to date a piece of
quartz that contains tiny pieces of sandstone?
ANS: If the sandstone is “INCLUDED” within the quartz, it
must be older.
29. What type of dating technique is the above an example of?
ANS: Relative
30. Which is the newest addition to
the rock layers shown here, and how
do you know?
ANS: D, because of crosscutting relationship…it cuts
through everything, so it must
be newest.
31. Radioactive isotope X is measured in a sample, and found to
have lost ¾ its original mass (so ¼ of it remains). How many halflives have past?
ANS: 2
32. What is the general term for this gap in the rock record known
as?
ANS: an unconformity
33. The rock forming process,
whereby layers of sediment become
compressed over time is known as
ANS: Lithification
Use the following terms/phrases to answer the questions below.
copralite
cast
replacement
transitional fossil
gastrolith
carbonization
mold
amber
igneous inclusions
34. Not a fossil, or a form of fossilization
ANS: Igneous inclusion
35. Fossil exhibiting characteristics of two different taxonomic
groups.
ANS: Transitional Fossil
36. Represents a reproduction of the internal or external features
of an organism
ANS: Mold
37. You will know exactly what a dinosaur ate by studying these
ANS: Copralites,
38. Most of the mass of Earth’s core is made of this substance:
ANS: Iron
39. The Earth’s asthenosphere is
located here, and is responsible for
movements in Earth’s tectonic plates.
ANS: D
40. When short wave UV radiation penetrates Earth’s
atmosphere, is absorbed by Earth’s surface, and is re-radiated
back out into the atmosphere as IR radiation, which is blocked by
certain atmospheric gases, this is known as
ANS: Greenhouse Effect