Earth Science - 11

Question 1

TEMPERATURE

Answer 1

it influences how quickly atoms, molecules, or organisms move, for example: low temperature can help slow down chemical reaction and high temperature can cause important biological molecules to break down.

Question 2

WATER

Answer 2

one of the important ingredients in different biological processes, absence of these will interfere reactions necessary for life.

Question 3

ATMOSPHERE

Answer 3

provides protection from the sun and meteorites. CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) & CH4 (Methane) help trap heat and prevent our planet from freezing, O3 (Ozone Layer) shields the Earth’s surface from UV rays, it also provides chemical needed such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

Question 4

ENERGY

Answer 4

energy is needed to support life, other organism such as chemosynthetic organism: they rely on chemical energy to support various biological processes

Question 5

NUTRIENTS

Answer 5

an essential factor used to build and maintain organism’s body structure.

Question 6

Earth is comprised of four major smaller systems known
as subsystems.

Answer 6

atmosphere
geosphere
hydrosphere
biosphere

Question 7

ATMOSPHERE

Answer 7

• from the greek word ‘atmos’ meaning gas and sphaira (globe/ball)
• composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon and the remaining 0.10% is UV rays
• it is affected by the earth’s gravity thus the altitude increases the
  amount of gases in the atmosphere decreases.
• composed of 5 layers: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere.

Question 8

GEOSPHERE

Answer 8

• from the greek word ‘geos’ meaning ground
• the solid part of the earth, divided in 3 layers: crust, mantle, and core.
• naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals, organic material or natural glass called rocks
• loose particles of rocks that enveloped the surface of the Earth called regolith.

Question 9

HYDROSPHERE

Answer 9

• from the greek word ‘hydro’ meaning water
• composed of all the water on earth in any form.
• cryosphere: the frozen part of this subsystem
• plays an important role in absorption and redistribution of solar radiation.

Question 10

BIOSPHERE

Answer 10

• from greek word ‘bios’ meaning life
• composed of all living things and the areas where they are found.
• animals, microbes, marine organisms, and plants.
• here organisms play an important role in the food web.

Question 11

Crystal Habit

Answer 11

• refers to the overall shape or growth pattern of the
  mineral. it can be described as equant, elongate, and platy.

Question 12

Equant

Answer 12

• three dimensions of the mineral have about the same length, as that of a cube or sphere (garnet).

Question 13

Elongate

Answer 13

• forms prismatic or prism-like crystals that are thicker than the needle as in a pencil. (indicolite).

Question 14

Platy

Answer 14

• looks like a flattened and thin crystal like plate (wulfenite).

Question 15

Luster

Answer 15

• light is reflected from its surface. it can be described as opaque,
  transparent, dull, or shiny

Question 16

Metallic Luster

Answer 16

• is opaque and very reflective like gold and silver.

Question 17

Non-Metallic Luster

Answer 17

• dull, silky, greasy, and pearly like silicates.

Question 18

Cleavage and Fracture

Answer 18

• cleavage is the tendency of minerals to break along very smooth, flat, and shiny surfaces.
• fractures can break along random irregular surfaces.
• it has 5 classifications: conchoidal, uneven, hackly,
  splintery, and earthy.

Question 19

Hardness

Answer 19

• the measure of the mineral’s resistance to scratching.
• harder minerals will scratch softer minerals.

Question 20

Color

Answer 20

• is one of the most obvious properties of a mineral but not reliable alone. Some minerals come in just one color, some come in many

Question 21

Streak

Answer 21

• refers to the color of the mineral in its powdered form, it is a more reliable property than color as streak shows the true color of minerals.

Question 22

Metallic Sulfide

Answer 22

• minerals form into sulfuric acid when exposed to air and water.

Question 23

Igneous Rocks

Answer 23

• are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.
• can be classified into two:
  > intrusive where large crystals of minerals formed through the slow process of crystallization in a magma (granite, diorite, gabbro, pegmatite, & peridotite)
  > extrusive where it is a faster rate of solidification on the surface of the earth ( andesite, basalt, dacite, obsidian, pumice, & rhyolite)

Question 24

Sedimentary Rocks

Answer 24

• is formed by the deposition and cementation of mineral or organic particles on bodies of water at the earth’s surface.
• can be classified into:
  > clastic - formed from the mechanical weathering debris of rock (sandstone, siltstone, and shale.)
  > chemical - formed when dissolved materials precipitate from the solution ( rock salt, iron ore, chert, flint, some dolomites.)
  > organic - formed from the build-up of plant or animal debris (coal and fossiliferous limestone.)

Question 25

Metamorphic Rocks

Answer 25

• forms from existing rock types called “parent rock” in the process called metamorphism, which means a change in form.
• can be classified into:
  > foliated - formed through pressure due to compression of rocks that create bands called foliation (gneiss, phyllite, schist, and slate.)
  > non-foliated - has no foliation or bands (hornfels, marble,
  quartzite, and novaculite.)

Question 26

Universe

Answer 26

• made of 4.6% baryonic matter (protons, electrons, and neutrons: atoms, planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae, and other bodies)
• 24% cold dark matter (emits no light)
• 71.4% dark energy (source of anti-gravity)

Question 27

3 Most Abundant Elements

Answer 27

Hydrogen, Helium, & Lithium

Question 28

Steady State Theory

Answer 28

• was proposed by Bondi and Gould and Hoyle in 1948
• t’was rejection with the discovery of the cosmic microwave background.

Question 29

Big Bang Theory

Answer 29

• the currently accepted theory of the origin and evolution of the universe. the big bang theory postulates that 13.8 billion years ago, the universe expanded from a tiny, dense and hot
  mass to its present size and much cooler state.