Ch. 2 - Matter, Energy, and the Physical Environment

Question 1

tsunami

Answer 1

A wave or series of waves produced by the vertical displacement of a large volume of water; also called seismic sea wave. Tsunamis differ from normal, wind-driven waves in their large amplitude, very long wavelength, high velocity of propagation, and potentially large onshore run-up heights.

Question 2

scientific method

Answer 2

A formalized method for testing ideas with observations that involves several assumptions and a more or less consistent series of interrelated steps.

Question 3

hypothesis

Answer 3

An educated guess that explains a phenomenon or answers a scientific question.

Question 4

predictions

Answer 4

A specific statement that can be tested, generally arising from a hypothesis.

Question 5

experiment

Answer 5

An activity designed to test the validity of a hypothesis by manipulating variables.

Question 6

variables

Answer 6

In an experiment, a condition that can change.

Question 7

control

Answer 7

The portion of an experiment in which a variable has been left unmanipulated or untreated.

Question 8

data

Answer 8

Information that is generally quantitative in nature.

Question 9

peer review

Answer 9

The process by which a manuscript submitted for publication in an academic journal is examined by other specialists in the field, who provide comments and criticism (generally anonymously), and judge whether the work merits publication in the journal.

Question 10

theory

Answer 10

A widely accepted, well-tested explanation of one or more cause-and-effect relationships that has been extensively validated by a great amount of research.

Question 11

matter

Answer 11

Any material that has mass and occupies space.

Question 12

conservation of matter

Answer 12

(law of) The basic principle that matter may be transformed from one type of substance into others, but it cannot be created or destroyed.

Question 13

element

Answer 13

A fundamental type of matter; a chemical substance with a given set of properties, which cannot be broken down into constituent substances with other properties. Chemists currently recognize 92 elements that occur in nature, as well as more than 20 others that have been artificially created. These are organized by atomic number and other properties into the Periodic Table of the Elements.

Question 14

radioactive isotope

Answer 14

An unstable isotope that emits subatomic particles and high-energy radiation as it decays into progressively lighter isotopes until becoming stable.

Question 15

stable isotope

Answer 15

A nonradioactive form of an element.

Question 16

atoms

Answer 16

The smallest component of an element that maintains the chemical properties of that element.

Question 17

isotopes

Answer 17

One of several forms or variants of an element having differing numbers of neutrons in the nucleus of its atoms. Chemically, isotopes of an element behave almost identically, but they have different physical properties because they differ in mass.

Question 18

radioactive

Answer 18

The quality held by some isotopes in which they spontaneously decay, changing their chemical identity as they shed subatomic particles and emit high-energy radiation.

Question 19

half-life

Answer 19

The amount of time it takes for one-half the atoms of a radioisotope to emit radiation and decay. Different radioisotopes have different half-lives, ranging from fractions of a second to billions of years.

Question 20

ions

Answer 20

An electrically charged atom or combination of atoms.

Question 21

molecules

Answer 21

A combination of two or more atoms.

Question 22

compound

Answer 22

A molecule composed of atoms of two or more elements.

Question 23

bond

Answer 23

A chemical–physical connection between two or more atoms; an electrical force linking two atoms together.

Question 24

solution

Answer 24

A chemical mixture; most often used in reference to liquids, it can also be applied to solid and gaseous mixtures.

Question 25

pH (scale)

Answer 25

A measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14: Solutions with pH of 7 are neutral; solutions with pH below 7 are acidic, and those with pH higher than 7 are basic. Because the pH scale is logarithmic, each step on the scale represents a tenfold difference in hydrogen ion concentration.

Question 26

organic compounds

Answer 26

A compound made up of carbon atoms (and, generally, hydrogen atoms) joined by covalent bonding and sometimes including other elements, such as nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur, or phosphorus. The unusual ability of carbon to build elaborate molecules has resulted in millions of different organic compounds showing various degrees of complexity.

Question 27

inorganic compounds

Answer 27

Chemical compounds that are of mineral (rather than biological) origin. Inorganic compounds may contain carbon—the element that characterizes organic compounds—but lack the carbon–carbon bonds that are typical of organic compounds.

Question 28

hydrocarbons

Answer 28

Organic molecules consisting of only the elements hydrogen and carbon; constituents of fossil fuels.

Question 29

methane (CH4)

Answer 29

The simplest hydrocarbon compound; the key component of natural gas, and a naturally occurring greenhouse gas.

Question 30

proteins

Answer 30

A large molecule made up of long chains of amino acids.

Question 31

nucleic acids

Answer 31

A molecule that directs the production of proteins; includes DNA and RNA.

Question 32

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Answer 32

A molecule that directs the production of proteins; self-replicating material that is the main constituent of chromosomes in almost all living organisms.

Question 33

ribonucleic acid (RNA)

Answer 33

A molecule that is involved in protein synthesis and sometimes in the transmission of genetic information.

Question 34

genes

Answer 34

A stretch of DNA that represents a unit of hereditary information.

Question 35

carbohydrates

Answer 35

An organic compound consisting of atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Question 36

lipids

Answer 36

One of a chemically diverse group of large, biologically important molecules that are classified together because they do not dissolve in water. Lipids include fats, phospholipids, waxes, pigments, and steroids.

Question 37

plastics

Answer 37

A synthetic polymer material, mostly derived from the hydrocarbons in petroleum.

Question 38

energy

Answer 38

An intangible phenomenon that can do work, that is, can change the position, physical state, or temperature of matter. Energy is a property of matter; it can be transferred or converted into a different form, but it cannot be created or destroyed.

Question 39

potential energy

Answer 39

Energy of position.

Question 40

kinetic energy

Answer 40

Energy of motion.

Question 41

electromagnetic spectrum

Answer 41

The range of wavelengths of radiation from shortest (gamma rays) to longest (radio waves).

Question 42

autotrophs (or primary producers)

Answer 42

An organism that can produce its own food from simple substances in the surrounding environment, most commonly utilizing energy from sunlight. Includes green plants, algae, and cyanobacteria.

Question 43

photosynthesis

Answer 43

The process by which autotrophs produce their own food. Sunlight powers a series of chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar (glucose), thus transforming low-quality energy from the sun into high-quality energy the organism can use.

Question 44

heterotroph (or consumer)

Answer 44

An organism that consumes other organisms. Includes all animals and fungi, as well as microbes (bacteria and protozoa) that decompose organic matter, and even some plants.

Question 45

cellular respiration

Answer 45

The process by which a cell uses the chemical reactivity of oxygen to split glucose into its constituent parts, water and carbon dioxide, and thereby release chemical energy that can be used to form chemical bonds or to perform other tasks within the cell.

Question 46

geothermal energy

Answer 46

Energy derived from heat generated deep within Earth. The radioactive decay of elements at depth generates heat that rises to the surface in magma, through heat flow by conduction, and through fissures and cracks. Can be synonymous with terrestrial energy.

Question 47

chemosynthesis

Answer 47

The process by which bacteria in hydrothermal vents use the chemical energy of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) to transform inorganic carbon into organic compounds.

Question 48

core

Answer 48

(1) The innermost zone of Earth, made up mostly of iron, that lies beneath the crust and mantle. (2) The part of a forest or reserve that is isolated from the surrounding area by a transitional or buffer zone.

Question 49

mantle

Answer 49

The layer of rock that lies beneath Earth’s crust and surrounds a mostly iron core.

Question 50

lithosphere

Answer 50

The solid part of Earth, including the rocks, sediment, and soil at the surface and extending down many kilometres underground; the crust and the outer portion of the mantle.

Question 51

crust

Answer 51

The relatively low-density outer layer of Earth, consisting of rock that floats atop the malleable mantle, which in turn surrounds a mostly iron core.

Question 52

convection

Answer 52

A process of heat transfer in which materials that are heated from below rise (as a consequence of lower density), cool, and then sink again (as a consequence of higher density).

Question 53

plate tectonics

Answer 53

The process by which Earth’s surface is shaped by the extremely slow movement of tectonic plates—large fragments of lithosphere. Earth’s surface includes about 15 major tectonic plates. Their interactions give rise to processes that build mountains, cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and otherwise influence the landscape.

Question 54

divergent plate boundaries

Answer 54

A boundary along which tectonic plates are moving apart from one another. If magma rising underneath the divergent boundary reaches the surface, new crust is formed as the emerging lava cools and solidifies in the rift. An example is the Mid-Atlantic ridge.

Question 55

magma

Answer 55

Molten (that is, liquid, melted) rock, typically containing dissolved gases, and sometimes mineral grains and rock fragments.

Question 56

fault

Answer 56

In rock, a fracture along which some movement has occurred.

Question 57

transform plate boundaries

Answer 57

A boundary along which two tectonic plates are moving past one another in a translational sense. For example, the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate are slipping and grinding past each other along California’s San Andreas Fault.

Question 58

convergent plate boundaries

Answer 58

A boundary along which tectonic plates are toward one another. Can result in subduction or collision, and mountain range formation.

Question 59

subduction

Answer 59

The plate tectonic process by which a tectonic plate carrying dense oceanic crust slides (or is pushed or dragged) beneath another plate at a convergent plate boundary.

Question 60

continental collision

Answer 60

A convergent boundary between tectonic plates, both of which carry continental crust, leading to the formation of a continental collision zone, rock deformation and metamorphism, and uplift of high mountain chains.

Question 61

volcano

Answer 61

A vent through which lava, ash, and other volcanic materials are extruded to the surface.

Question 62

landslides

Answer 62

A type of mass wasting in which a mass of rock or sediment moves downslope, often as a relatively coherent block.

Question 63

mass wasting

Answer 63

The downslope movement of Earth material (such as rock or soil) under the influence of gravity.

Question 64

rock cycle

Answer 64

The very slow process in which rocks and the minerals that make them up are heated, melted, cooled, broken, and reassembled, forming igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.

Question 65

rock

Answer 65

Durable Earth material made principally of minerals.

Question 66

mineral

Answer 66

A naturally occurring, solid, crystalline, inorganic compound; the building blocks of rocks.

Question 67

lava

Answer 67

Magma that flows or spatters across Earth’s surface.

Question 68

igneous rock

Answer 68

One of the three main categories of rock. Formed from the cooling and solidification of magma. Granite and basalt are examples of igneous rock.

Question 69

weathering

Answer 69

The physical, chemical, and biological processes that break down rocks and minerals.

Question 70

erosion

Answer 70

The removal of material from one place and its transport to another by the action of wind, water, or glacial ice.

Question 71

sediment

Answer 71

Loose particles, mainly of weathered rock.

Question 72

sedimentary rock

Answer 72

One of the three main categories of rock. Formed when dissolved minerals seep through sediment layers and act as a kind of glue, crystallizing and binding sediment particles together. Sandstone and shale are examples of sedimentary rock.

Question 73

metamorphic rock

Answer 73

One of the three main categories of rock. Formed by great heat and/or pressure that reshapes crystals within the rock and changes its appearance, mineral assemblage, physical properties, and sometimes its overall composition. Common metamorphic rocks include marble and slate.

Question 74

sequestration

Answer 74

Isolation; very long-term storage in a reservoir.