Chapter 5 Quiz (6 & 7) Flashcards
What’s density?
The degree of compactness of a substance
What is albedo?
how much light is reflected
How do terrestrial planets differ from the Jovian planets in density and albedo?
Terrestrial planets have an albedo of .37 or less. Joviaan planets have an albedo of .47 or higher
What’s an escape velocity?
the lowest velocity that a body must have in order to escape the gravitational attraction of a particular planet or other object
What gasses make up the atmosphere on Earth today and what is its pressure?
79% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% argon, and other gases. At sea level, earth is 14.7 pounds per square inch
How does global warming work? Why is there more CO2 going into the atmosphere than going out?
Plants take in CO2 to make sugars and produce oxygen. CO2 lets the light energy in, but doesn’t let all of the heat energy out, similar to a greenhouse so it keeps reheating in an endless cycle
What is the Earth’s crust made of?
relatively low density rock, oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium.
What are tectonic plates and what do they do?
tectonic plates are major thick rafts of rocks. They glide over and act as a shell to the mantel
What’s convection and what does it have to do with the plates shifting?
Convection is the transfer of energy by moving currents of fluid or gas containing that energy. Plates are pushed around by the convection currents that circulate beneath them
what causes Earth’s Magnetic Field lines? How can you tell in everyday life that they exist, and which way they’re aligned?
earth’s magnetic field is created by electric charges in motion inside the planet. Reversals of the geomagnetic poles leave a record in rocks
What is the Van Allen belt and what does that have to do with the Aurora Borealis?
It surrounds earth and traps charged particles. When the flow is high from the sun, some of the solar wind trapped in the belt is funneled down into earth’s atmosphere causing the northern and southern lights.
What are the two types of terrain we observe on the moon?
Highlands- heavily cratered and very old. Maria- relatively smooth and younger
How are craters made? How large/ small do they get, what kind of names do we give them?
Craters are made when comets and asteroids strike the moon. 1 mile to 185 miles wide. Lunar craters are: 1) a scientist or explorer who has made some significant contribution, preferably to the study of the Moon and planets; 2) deceased for at least three years before a crater name becomes official; 3) it cannot duplicate any existing lunar name.
what are the different parts of a crater?
Floor: the bottom of the crater, usually below the level of the surrounding ground
Central peak: peaks formed in the central area of the floor
Walls: the interior sides of a crater, usually steep. may have giant stair-like terraces that are created by slumping of the walls due to gravity
Rim: the edge of the crater. it is elevated above the surrounding terrain because it is composed of material pushed up at the edge during excavation
Ejecta: Rock material thrown out of the crater during an impact
Rays: bright streaks extending away from the crater sometimes for great distances, composed of ejected material
What are the Maria? How old are they? How were they formed?
Lowlands. 3.1-3.8 billion years old. Formed by volcano eruptions
What were the Apollo Missions and when were they executed?
Mission 11- 1961
Mission 17- 1972
What significance did the Apollo missions have? What did we learn through them and how?
Made numerous discoveries about maria, brought back lots of rock, started with maria, ended with highlands.
What are the basic three types of rock on the moon?
Mare Basalts, impact breccias, anorthosite