Chapter 3: Matter

Question 1

Define ‘Abiotic’.

Answer 1

Said of a compound that is of non-biologic (non-living) origin.

Question 2

Define ‘Aerosol’.

Answer 2

A tiny liquid drop or tiny solid particle so small it remains suspended in air.

Question 3

Define ‘Asthenosphere’.

Answer 3

The region of the mantle where rocks become ductile, having little strength, and are easily deformed. It lies at a depth of 100 to 350 km below the surface.

Question 4

Define ‘Atom’.

Answer 4

The smallest individual particle that retains all the properties of a given chemical element.

Question 5

Define ‘Biopolymer’.

Answer 5

Polymers that consist of organic compounds and are of biologic origin.

Question 6

Define ‘Biotic’.

Answer 6

A compound that is of biologic (living) origin.

Question 7

Define ‘Bond’.

Answer 7

The elemental forces that draw two atoms together.
Compounds form when one or more kinds of ion combine chemically in a specific ratio, typically through the sharing or exchange of electrons. The type and configuration of this sharing or exchange, called bonding, helps determine the properties of the compound.

Question 8

Define ‘Carbohydrate’.

Answer 8

Organic compounds composed of C, H, and O, of which sugars, starches, and cellulose are examples. Carbs are formed by all green plants and constitute a major source of food for animals.

Question 9

Define ‘Chemical element’.

Answer 9

The fundamental substances into which matter can be separated by ordinary chemical means.

Question 10

Define ‘Chemical sediment’.

Answer 10

Sediment formed by precipitation of minerals from solutions in water.

Question 11

Define ‘Clastic sediment’.

Answer 11

The loose fragmented debris produced by the mechanical breakdown of older rocks.

Question 12

Define ‘Colloid’.

Answer 12

A gel consisting of extremely fine particles dispersed in a continuous medium, usually liquid.

Question 13

Define ‘Compound’.

Answer 13

The combination of one or more kinds of anion with one or more kinds of cation in a specific ration, typically through the sharing (covalent bond) or exchange of electrons (ionic bond).

Question 14

Define ‘Continental crust’.

Answer 14

The part of the Earth’s crust that comprises the continents, which has an average thickness of 45 km.

Question 15

Define ‘Core’.

Answer 15

The spherical mass, largely metallic iron, at the center of the Earth.

Question 16

Define ‘Crust’.

Answer 16

The outermost and thinnest of Earth’s compositional layers, which consists of rocky matter that is less dense than the rocks of the mantle below.

Question 17

Define ‘Crystal’.

Answer 17

A solid compound composed of ordered, three-dimensional arrays of atoms or chemically bonded together and displaying crystal form.

Question 18

Define ‘Density’.

Answer 18

The average mass per unit volume.

Question 19

Define ‘Gas’.

Answer 19

State of matter that takes on the shape of the container in which it is contained, filling the container completely (or escaping into space if it is not contained), while its constituent atoms move freely and acquire a uniform distribution within the container.

Question 20

Define ‘Gene’.

Answer 20

Regions of DNA coded for specific proteins that perform particular functions.

Question 21

Define ‘Glass’.

Answer 21

Non-crystalline, amorphous solid.

Question 22

Define ‘Hydrocarbons’.

Answer 22

Organic compounds that contain hydrogen and form carbon-hydrogen bonds.

Question 23

Define ‘Igneous rock’.

Answer 23

Rock formed by the cooling and consolidation of magma.

Question 24

Define ‘Inner core’.

Answer 24

The central, solid portion of the Earth’s core.

Question 25

Define ‘Inorganic’.

Answer 25

Chemical compounds of non- biologic origin.

Question 26

Define ‘Ion’.

Answer 26

An atom that has excess positive or negative charges caused by electron transfer.

Question 27

Define ‘Isotope’.

Answer 27

Atoms of an element having the same atopic number but differing mass numbers.

Question 28

Define ‘Lava’.

Answer 28

Magma that reaches the Earth’s surface through a volcanic vent.

Question 29

Define ‘Lipid’.

Answer 29

A chemically diverse group of compounds that do not dissolve in water, including fats, oils, waxes, and steroids.

Question 30

Define ‘Liquid’.

Answer 30

State of matter that has definite volume but its constituent atoms are able to flow freely past one another; the material does not retain its own shape but conforms to the shape of its container.

Question 31

Define ‘Lithosphere’.

Answer 31

The outer 100 km of the solid Earth, where rocks are harder and more rigid than those in the plastic asthenosphere.

Question 32

Define ‘Magma’.

Answer 32

Molten rock, together with any suspended mineral grains and dissolved gases, that forms when temperatures rise and melting occurs in the mantle or crust.

Question 33

Define ‘Mantle’.

Answer 33

The thick shell of dense, rocky matter that surrounds the core.

Question 34

Define ‘Matter’.

Answer 34

Substance that has mass and occupies space.

Question 35

Define ‘Mesosphere’.

Answer 35

One of the four thermal layers of the atmosphere, lying above the stratosphere.

Question 36

Define ‘Metamorphic rock’.

Answer 36

Rock whose original compounds or textures, or both, have been transformed to new compounds and new textures by reactions in the solid state as a result of high temperature, high pressure, or both.

Question 37

Define ‘Mineral’.

Answer 37

Any naturally formed, crystal- line solid with a definite chemical com- position and a characteristic crystal structure.

Question 38

Define ‘Mineral assemblage’.

Answer 38

The variety and abundance of minerals present in a rock.

Question 39

Define ‘Molecule’.

Answer 39

Smallest unit that retains the properties of a given compound.

Question 40

Define ‘Nucleic acid’.

Answer 40

Giant organic polymers built from molecules called nucleotides, each of which contains a sugar group, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Question 41

Define ‘Oceanic crust’.

Answer 41

The crust beneath the oceans.

Question 42

Define ‘Organic’.

Answer 42

Said of compounds consisting of carbon atoms that are joined to other carbon atoms by a covalent bond.
Organic compounds are generally of biologic origin and typically contain carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds.Organic compounds, especially certain types of biopolymers, are extremely important in Earth processes. Four major categories of biologically important compounds are proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids.

Question 43

Define ‘Outer core’.

Answer 43

The outer portion of the Earth’s core, which is molten.

Question 44

Define ‘Phase’.

Answer 44

Masses of material that can be separated from one another by a definable boundary.

Question 45

Define ‘Plasma’.

Answer 45

Ionized (electrically charged) gas with unique properties and characteristics.

Question 46

Define ‘Plutonic rock (intrusive)’.

Answer 46

Rock formed by the crystallization of magma underground. Tend to be much coarser- grained, with interlocking crystals.

Question 47

Define ‘Polymer’.

Answer 47

Large chain or network structures formed by the linking together of small molecules (called monomers).

Question 48

Define ‘Protein’.

Answer 48

Molecule formed through the polymerization of an amino acid.

Question 49

Define ‘Radioactive’.

Answer 49

Isotopes of certain chemical elements that transform spontaneously into another isotope of the same element, or to an isotope of a different element.

Question 50

Define ‘Regolith’.

Answer 50

The irregular blanket of loose, noncemented rock particles that covers the Earth.

Question 51

Define ‘Rock’.

Answer 51

Any naturally formed, nonliving, firm, and coherent aggregate mass of mineral matter that constitutes part of a planet.

Question 52

Define ‘Sediment’.

Answer 52

Regolith that has been trans- ported by any of the external processes.

Question 53

Define ‘Sedimentary rock’.

Answer 53

Any rock formed by chemical precipitation or by sedimentation and cementation of mineral grains transported to a site of deposition by water, wind, ice, or gravity.

Question 54

Define ‘Soil’.

Answer 54

The part of the regolith that can support rooted plants.

Question 55

Define ‘Solid’.

Answer 55

State of matter that is firm or com- pact in substance with a definite volume and density, and that tends to retain its shape even if it is not confined, because its constituent atoms are fixed in position relative to each other.

Question 56

Define ‘State’.

Answer 56

No def’n found. Solid, liquid, gas, etc…

Question 57

Define ‘Texture (of a rock)’.

Answer 57

The overall appearance that a rock has because of the size, shape, and arrangement of its constituent mineral grains.

Question 58

Define ‘Vapor’.

Answer 58

Gas.

Question 59

Define ‘Volcanic rock (extrusive)’.

Answer 59

Rock formed from the volcanic eruption of lava or tephra; often very fertile. Can be recognized by their very fine grain sizes or glassy texture.

Question 60

The common states of matter on Earth are solid, liquid, and gas. What are some others?

Answer 60

Other forms and states of matter, including plasmas, gels, colloids, and aerosols, are also important in Earth processes.

Question 61

Are mixtures and solutions the same as compounds?

Answer 61

They are not the same as compounds because the materials in the mixture do not undergo chemical reactions and they can usually be separated from one another by physical means.

Question 62

The overall composition of Earth is inherited from its location in the solar nebula. As a terrestrial planet, the composition of Earth is predominantly ___ and ___.

Answer 62

Rocky and metallic.

Question 63

Earth has internal layers that originated as a consequence of the chemical differentiation of the partially molten early planet. The layers can be distinguished from one another on the basis of differences in composition—___, ___, ___; rock strength—___, ___, ___; and state of matter—___ ___ (solid), ___ ___ (liquid).

Answer 63

Core, mantle, crust.
Mesosphere, asthenosphere, lithosphere.
Inner core (solid), outer core (liquid).

Question 64

What 12 elements comprise 99.23 % of the continental crust? These are the abundant elements, which control the compositions of many common Earth materials.

Answer 64

12 elements—oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, titanium, hydro- gen, manganese, and phosphorus.

Question 65

Minerals are conveniently identified and classified on the basis of their physical properties, which, in turn, depend on their chemical compositions and crystal structures. How are they identified?

Answer 65

The proper ties most often used to identify minerals are crystal form, growth habit, cleavage, luster, color, hardness, and specific gravity.

Question 66

What are the 3 families of rocks?

Answer 66

There are three families of rock: igneous rocks, which form by the cooling and consolidation of molten rock; sedimentary rocks, which form by the chemical precipitation of material carried in solution by lake, river, or ocean water, or by the deposition of particles transported in suspension by water, wind, or ice; and metamorphic rocks, which have been changed as a result of high temperatures, high pressures, or both.

Question 67

How are rocks identified?

Answer 67

A rock can be identified and classified on the basis of its texture (the size, shape, and arrangement of constituent mineral grains), and mineral assemblage, which reflect the conditions under which the rock was formed and/or later modified.

Question 68

How are rocks identified?

Answer 68

A rock can be identified and classified on the basis of its texture (the size, shape, and arrangement of constituent mineral grains), and mineral assemblage, which reflect the conditions under which the rock was formed and/or later modified.

Question 69

What are two factors that can be recognizable in metamorphic rocks? Sedimentary rocks?

Answer 69

Metamorphic rocks often are recognizable because they show evidence of chemical and/or physical alteration due to exposure to very high temperatures and pressures, such as recrystallization or layering.

Sedimentary rocks can usually be identified on the basis of textural evidence of individual accumulated particles that have become stuck or cemented together. Fossils also provide strong evidence of sedimentary origins.

Question 70

Regolith is composed of ___(decomposed rock in situ); ___(loose, unconsolidated particulate matter); and ___(regolith that contains organic matter and can support rooted plant life).

Answer 70

Saprolite, sediment, and soil.

Question 71

What are the two fundamental types of sediment?

Answer 71

There are two fundamental types of sediment: clastic, composed of bits of broken rock and mineral particles; and chemical, derived from material transported in solution and deposited when the dissolved minerals are precipitated.

Question 72

Energy drives the continuous cycling of materials among Earth’s reservoirs: geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. ___ cycles are the pathways that chemical elements follow as they move through the Earth system.

Answer 72

Biogeochemical.
The key that unifies biogeochemical cycles is the involvement of the four prin- cipal components of the Earth system: rocks, air, water, and life.