Chapter 3

Question 1

geosphere

Answer 1

the solid part of the earth that consists of all rock, and the soils and sediments on earth’s surface, is the geosphere

Question 2

hydrosphere

Answer 2

earth’s interior is divided into layers based on composition and structure

Question 3

crust

Answer 3

earth’s surface is broken into pieces called tectonic plates, which collide, separate, or slip past one another

Question 4

mantle

Answer 4

earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building are all events that occur at the boundaries of tectonic plates

Question 5

core

Answer 5

earth’s surface features are continually altered by the action of water and wind

Question 6

lithosphere

Answer 6

the mixture of gases that surrounds the earth is called the atmosphere

Question 7

asthenosphere

Answer 7

the atmosphere is composed almost entirely of nitrogen and oxygen

Question 8

tectonic plate

Answer 8

earth’s atmosphere is divided into four layers bases on changes in temperature that take place at different altitudes

Question 9

chemical

Answer 9

heat is transferred in the atmosphere by radiation, conduction, convection

Question 10

greenhouse effect

Answer 10

the gases in the atmosphere act like a layer of glass. both allow solar energy to pass through but glass and some of the gases in the atmosphere absorb energy and stop it from escaping into space

Question 11

weathering

Answer 11

the process of wearing or being worn by long exposure to the atmosphere.

Question 12

erosion

Answer 12

the process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents.

Question 13

atmosphere

Answer 13

the envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet.

Question 14

troposphere

Answer 14

the lowest region of the atmosphere

Question 15

stratosphere

Answer 15

the layer of the earth’s atmosphere above the troposphere

Question 16

ozone

Answer 16

a colorless unstable toxic gas with a pungent odor and powerful oxidizing properties, formed from oxygen by electrical discharges or ultraviolet light. It differs from normal oxygen (O2) in having three atoms in its molecule (O3).

Question 17

radiation

Answer 17

the emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or as moving subatomic particles, especially high-energy particles which cause ionization.

Question 18

conduction

Answer 18

the process by which heat or electricity is directly transmitted through a substance when there is a difference of temperature or of electrical potential between adjoining regions, without movement of the material.

Question 19

convection

Answer 19

the movement caused within a fluid by the tendency of hotter and therefore less dense material to rise, and colder, denser material to sink under the influence of gravity, which consequently results in transfer of heat.

Question 20

water cycle

Answer 20

the cycle of processes by which water circulates between the earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and land, involving precipitation as rain and snow, drainage in streams and rivers, and return to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration.

Question 21

evaporation

Answer 21

the process of turning from liquid into vapor.

Question 22

condensation

Answer 22

water which collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it.

Question 23

precipitation

Answer 23

the action or process of precipitating a substance from a solution.

Question 24

salinity

Answer 24

the quality or degree of being saline.

Question 25

fresh water

Answer 25

of or found in fresh water; not of the sea.

Question 26

biosphere

Answer 26

the regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the earth (or analogous parts of other planets) occupied by living organisms.