Chap. 3 Key Terms

Question 1

geosphere

Answer 1

the solid part that consists of all rock, as well as soils and loose rocks on earths surface

Question 2

hydrosphere

Answer 2

makes up all of the water on or near earths surface

Question 3

crust

Answer 3

composed almost entirely of light elements

Question 4

mantle

Answer 4

the layer beneath the crust

Question 5

core

Answer 5

the earths innermost layer

Question 6

lithosphere

Answer 6

a cool rigid layer that includes the crust and uppermost part of the mantle

Question 7

asthenosphere

Answer 7

the layer beneath the lithosphere

Question 8

tectonic plates

Answer 8

the pieces of the lithosphere that glide across the underlying asthenosphere

Question 9

chemical weathering

Answer 9

wears down rocks making them smoother as time passes

Question 10

erosion

Answer 10

transports the materials elsewhere

Question 11

atmosphere

Answer 11

a mixture of gases the earth is surrounded by

Question 12

troposphere

Answer 12

the atmospheric layer that is closest to earths surface

Question 13

stratosphere

Answer 13

above the troposphere

Question 14

ozone

Answer 14

a molecule made up of three oxygen atoms

Question 15

radiation

Answer 15

the transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves

Question 16

conduction

Answer 16

the transfer of energy in the form of heat

Question 17

convection

Answer 17

transfer of energy that takes place when variations in temperature move the matter making up air

Question 18

greenhouse effect

Answer 18

greenhouse gases absorb and reradiate infrared radiation near the earth

Question 19

water cycle

Answer 19

the continuous movement of water into the air, onto land, and then back to water sources

Question 20

evaporation

Answer 20

the process by which liquid water is heated by the sun and then rises into the atmosphere as water vapor

Question 21

condensation

Answer 21

water vapor forms water droplets on dust particles

Question 22

precipitation

Answer 22

larger droplets fall from clouds as rain

Question 23

salinity

Answer 23

the concentration of all the dissolved salts it contains

Question 24

fresh water

Answer 24

a little more than 3 percent of all water on earth

Question 25

biosphere

Answer 25

the narrow layer around earths surface in which life can exist

Question 26

magnitude

Answer 26

the smallest amount of magnitude that can be felt is approximately 2.0