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Physics 1, 2 + 3 > Physics 1: The Earth and the Universe > Flashcards

Physics 1: The Earth and the Universe Flashcards

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1
Q

Solar system

A

The planetary System around the sun, of which the earth is part

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2
Q

Planets

A

Large sphere of gas or rock orbiting a star

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3
Q

Asteroids

A

Small objects in orbit in the solar system

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4
Q

Comet

A

Lump of rock and ice in a highly elongated orbit around the sun

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5
Q

Dwarf planet

A

Spherical object orbiting the sun, smaller than the planet and larger than an astroid

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6
Q

Moon

A

A large natural satellite that orbits the planet

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7
Q

What is the centre of our solar system

A

A star called the sun

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8
Q

What are the Details of the planets in the solar system

A

The eight planets in our solar system are spherical and have nearly circular orbit around the sun. The four planets are closest to the sun or solid rock; the four outer planets are gas giants

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9
Q

The asteroids in our solar system

A

Mostly in a circular orbit between Mars and Jupiter

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10
Q

Planet weight order from largest to smallest

A

Jupiter is the heaviest planet, followed by Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, earth, Venus Mars and Mercury

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11
Q

Orbit order from largest to smallest

A

Neptune has the largest orbit, followed by Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars,
Venus and Mercury

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12
Q

Milky Way

A

The Galaxy in which our sun is one of billions of stars

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13
Q

Galaxy

A

A group of billions of stars

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14
Q

Universe

A

The whole of space and all the objects and energy within it

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15
Q

Light year

A

The distance travelled by light in one year. One light year is 9.5 million million kilometres

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16
Q

How does light travel

A
  • Light travels through space (a vacuum) at the speed of 3.0×10 to the power of 5 km/s
  • like take a very long time to reach us from the stars. We can only observe what stars were like in the past, when the light left them
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17
Q

Radiation

A

Energy transfer by electromagnetic waves all fast moving particles

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18
Q

Where do we get our evidence about stars

A

All the evidence we have about stars and galaxies come from the radiationwhich are strong and is can detect

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19
Q

Real brightness

A

A measure of the light emitted by a star compare to the sun, taking into account how far away it is

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20
Q

Relative brightness

A

The apparent brightness of the star as seen from earth; it didn’t start close to Earth may appear brighter than a bright one that is further away

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21
Q

Two stars with real and relative brightness

A
  • Two stars which have the same real brightness (appear as bright as each other) can have different relative brightness. The star which is further away has a smaller relative brightness.
  • if you know the distance to one of the stars, the difference is in their relative brightness can be used to calculate the distance to the other one.
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22
Q

What are the uncertainties with this method of measuringThe distance to stars

A

There are uncertainties with this method of measuring the distance the stars:

  • it is based on the assumption that similar types of stars have the same real brightness
  • it is based on estimating the distance to one of the stars
  • many things can make it difficult to stick make precise observations of the stars at night. This includes dust, rain, clouds and like pollution from streets and buildings
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23
Q

Light pollution

A

Excessive artificial light that prevents us from seeing the stars at night and can disrupt ecosystems

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24
Q

How do we take measurements without the distortion of light pollution

A

Telescopes in space take measurements without distortion is from the earths atmosphere

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25
Q

Parallax

A

Angle between two imaginary lines from two different observation point on earth to an object such as a star or planet, use to measure the distance to that object

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26
Q

What is the parallax effect

A
  • as the earth orbits the sun, nearby stars move slightly against the fix background of distant stars. This is called the parallax effect. Although small, it can be used to find the distance of a star
  • only stars nearby have a parallax effect which is large enough to be measured
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27
Q

Nuclear fusion

A

Nuclear reaction in which to small atomic nuclei combine to make a larger nucleus, with a large amount of energy released

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28
Q

The Sun’s nuclear fusion

A

• The suns energy comes from hydrogen. Hydrogen nuclei are jammed together so hard that they combine in pairs to form the element helium. This process releases loads of energy and is called nuclear fusion.

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29
Q

Fusion in stars

A
  • Fusion in stars forces hydrogen nuclei together to make other elements as well. These other elements spread through space went a star explodes at the end of its life
  • all the chemical elements with atoms heavier than helium were made in the stars
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30
Q

What are the conditions for Nuclear fusion to occur

A
  • nuclear fusion is only possible when there are very high densities and temperatures
  • at high enough densities, nuclear fusion can make heavier elements up to iron
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31
Q

Supernova

A

Explosion of a large star at the end of its life

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32
Q

How do you heavy stars end their lives

A

Heavy stars end their lives as supernova. This is a massive explosion where all the different chemical elements, including those heavier than iron, are made

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33
Q

How was the solar system made

A
  • The solar system is made from collapsing cloud of dust and gas about 5000 million years ago
  • apart from hydrogen, all of the material in the cloud came from the explosion of large stars. Evidence for this comes from elements in the sun other than hydrogen and helium
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34
Q

How are galaxies are moving

A
  • most of the galaxies appear to be moving away from us
  • this motion of the galaxies increases the wavelength of the light we receive from them
  • The increase of wavelength from a galaxy moving away is called red shift
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35
Q

Red shift

A

This shift of lines in a spectrum towards the red (longer wavelength), due to the motion of the source away from us

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36
Q

What does redshifts suggest

A
  • apart from a few close galaxies, the amount of red shift increases with distance from Earth. In general, the further away from a galaxy is, the faster it is moving away from us
  • The red shift in the light coming from distant galaxies provide evidence that all parts of the universe expanding with galaxies moving apart from each other as time goes on
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37
Q

The Big Bang

A
  • The universe started expanding rapidly from a single point about 14,000 million years ago
  • The sun was created about 5000 million years ago
  • The earth was created about 4500 million years ago
  • scientists believe that the universe began with a ‘ big bang’.
  • The detection of cosmic background radiation provides evidence to support the big bang theory
38
Q

Big bang theory

A

The theoretical beginning of the universe, when energy and matter expanded outwards from a point

39
Q

What is the ultimate fate of the universe

A

The ultimate fate of the universe depends on how it continues to expand. If there is enough mass in the universe, gravity will slow down the expansion and make it collapse again

40
Q

How can we predict the fate of the universe

A

The fate of the universe is difficult to predict because:

  • we can only measure the mass of the parts of the universe which emits radiation
  • precise measurements of speed and distance of galaxies is difficult because the radiation travels such a long way to get us
41
Q

Erosion

A

The wearing away of rock or other surface matter such as soil

42
Q

Sediments

A

Particles of rock etc. In water that settle to the bottom

43
Q

Volcanoes

A

Landform from which molten rock onto the surface

44
Q

Lava

A

Molten rock (magma) from beneath the Earth’s surface when it erupts from a volcano

45
Q

Erosion and volcanoes

A
  • The surface of the Earth is always changing
  • material erode slowly from mountains and the come sediments which make rocks
  • volcanoes erupt quickly, spewing out lava to make new mountains or a crater
  • sometimes plants and animals are buried by sediments or lava to become fossils
  • slow movements of the crust can make fold rocks and new mountains
  • geologist study rocks. Their findings provide evidence of how the earth has changed
46
Q

How are rocks eroded and transported

A
  • rocks are invited by moving water, glaziers, wind and rockfalls. Mountains are made smaller and smoother by erosion. Valleys are made deeper by erosion of riverbed rocks
  • eroded rock fragments are transported by the wind, water and ice, broken up further, and deposited on riverbeds and in the sea. This is called sedimentation
47
Q

Sedimentation

A

The settling of particles in water to the bottom

48
Q

Sedimentary rocks

A

Rock formed when sediments are laid down and compacted together

49
Q

The buildup of sedimentary rock

A
  • over millions of years of sediment across together to form layers of sedimentary rocks.
  • The buildup of sedimentary rock layers eventually make seas shallower
50
Q

How are rocks used to estimate the age of the Earth

A
  • The age of the earth can be estimated from, and must be great to them, the age of the oldest rocks, which are 4000 million years old
  • if no new rocks had been created, erosion for that length of time would’ve worn all the continents down to sea level
  • breaks in the Earth crust allow molten rock to escape from volcanoes and create new mountains
  • collisions between different parts of the crust also push rocks up to make new mountains
51
Q

Crust

A

Surface layer of earth, made up of tectonic plates

52
Q

Continental drift

A

Slow movement of continents (landmasses) relative to each other

53
Q

What was Alfred Wegner’s 1915 theory

A

Alfred Wegner’s 1915 theory of continental drift is says that millions of years ago there was a single landmass on earth. Since then it has split into several containers which of drifted apart

54
Q

What evidence was Wegener’s theory based on

A

Wegener’s theory was based on the following evidence:
- The way continents fit together so well
-similar fossils and rocks are found all the continents now separated by oceans
Collisions between moving continents also explain the folding of rocks into mountains

55
Q

Who and why didn’t they is people except Wegner’s theory

A

Geologists our scientists Who study the earth. They did not accept Wegener’s theory because:

  • they already had other, simpler theories which explain some of his observations
  • nobody could explain on measure the movement of the continents
  • Wegener was not a trained geologist and his there was very different from others
56
Q

Why do continents move away from each other

A
  • continents move because they sit on the mantle, whose rocks move slowly by convection as they carry heat away from the earth’s core
  • The seafloor between continents moving apart could increase by a few centimetres each year. This is called seafloor spreading
57
Q

Sea floor spreading

A

And extension of the seafloor caused by tectonic plate movement and the extrusion of Magma between two plates which solidifies to form rock

58
Q

Oceanic ridges

A

Undersea mountain range by seafloor spreading and caused by the escape of solidification of magma where tectonic plates meetings

59
Q

Oceanic ridges and the earth’s Field reversing

A
  • oceanic ridges form on the expanding seafloor where liquid rock from Mantle fills the gap
  • The solidifying rock in the oceanic ridges is magnetise by the earths field
  • The earth’s magnetic field changes direction over millions of years
  • each time the earths field reverses, so does the magnetisation of the oceanic ridges. So the sea floor has strips of reversed magnetism parallel to the gap where new rock is created
60
Q

Tectonic plate

A

Section of earths crust but slowly moves relative to other plates

61
Q

Plate boundary

A

Where to adjacent tectonic plates of the earth’s crust meet or are moving apart

62
Q

Properties of the earths tectonic plates

A
  • The earths crust has solid tectonic plates which float on semisolid rocks
  • tectonic plates meet at the plate Boundry. Here, earthquakes, volcanoes and mountains of Ireland
63
Q

Magma

A

Molten (liquid) rock

64
Q

Fold mountains

A

A mountain caused by folding of the earths crust went to tectonic plates push against one another

65
Q

Volcanoes input in tectonic plates

A
  • volcanoes occur when liquid magma is falls through cracks where tectonic plates are moving apart
  • volcanic mountains formed when one tectonic plate is forced under another heading towards it
  • fold mountains formed when two tectonic plates meet head-on
  • earthquakes are releases of energy from tectonic plates slide in past each other
  • The rock cycle can be explained by the movement of tectonic plates
66
Q

The structure of the earth

A
  • cora the earth is mostly liquid iron
  • semi liquid rock in the mantle floats on the core
  • The outer core is a layer of liquid nickel and iron about 2200 km thick
  • The inner core is solid nickel and iron about 1250 km thick
  • A thin layer of solid rock in the crust floats on the mantle
67
Q

Mantle

A

Semi liquid layer of the earth beneath the crust

67
Q

Seismic waves

A

Vibrations that passed through the earth following an earthquake

68
Q

What are the two types of seismic waves

A

P-waves and S waves

69
Q

When are seismic waves generated

A

When tectonic plate suddenly move

70
Q

P-waves

A

Longitudinal shockwaves following an earthquake that can travel through the molten core of the earth; they change direction at the boundary between different layers of the earth

71
Q

S waves

A

Transverse shockwaves following an earthquake that could not travel through the molten core of the earth

72
Q

What can Measure P-waves and S waves

A
  • Seismometers on the earths surface record these waves after an earthquake
  • we can work out the structure of the earth by measuring the time of arrival of seismic waves across the earth from an earthquake
73
Q

When do you seismic wave speed change or differ

A

Seismic wave speed up and change direction when they enter Denser regions of the earth’s core

74
Q

What is the difference between P-waves and S waves

A
  • p-waves are longitudinal which means the particles vibrate along the direction of motion of the wave. So the core of the earth must be liquid because only P-waves pass through it
  • S waves are transverse Sade the particles vibrate at right angles to the direction of motion of the wave
75
Q

Longitudinal

A

A wave such as a soundwave in which the disturbances are parallel to the direction of energy transfer

76
Q

Transverse

A

A way in which the disturbances are at right angles to the direction of energy transfer

77
Q

Wave

A

A periodic disturbance that transfers energy

78
Q

What does a wave do

A

A wave transfers energy away from a vibrating sauce. The wave creates a series of disturbances as it moves, vibrating material that it passes through

79
Q

Amplitude

A

The maximum disturbance of a wave motion from its undisturbed position

80
Q

Wavelength

A

The distance from one maximum disturbance to the next two

81
Q

What is the speed of a wave

A

The speed of a wave is how fast each maximum disturbance moves away from the source

82
Q

How do you find the speed of a wave (equation triangle)

A

Distance traveled
(m)
Wave ____________________
speed (m/s) = time taken (s)

83
Q

What is wave speed measured in

A

M/s

84
Q

Frequency

A

Of a wave is the number of vibrations of the source in one second

85
Q

Oscilloscope

A

An Oscilloscope is a machine that displays waves on the green. A grid on the screen that you compare the wavelength and amplitude of the waves:

  • a sound is louder if it has a larger amplitude
  • a sound is higher pitch if it has a shorter wavelength
86
Q

What is the scale on an oscilloscope used for

A

The scale in an oscilloscope is used to measure wavelengths in metres or to measure the amplitude

87
Q

What is the unit of frequency

A

Hertz (Hz)

88
Q

What does 1 Hz mean

A

1 vibration per second

89
Q

How do you find a way frequency or the wavelength

A

Wave speed (m/s)
_____________________
Frequency (Hz) x wavelength (m)

90
Q

What is the wavelength measured in

A

Metres

91
Q

What is the relationship between the frequency and the wavelength

A

The higher the frequency, The shorter the wavelength. The wavelength is always inverse a proportional to the frequency

Physics 1, 2 + 3 (3 decks)

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