Science Flashcards
Tectonic Plates
Since mantle flows, plates are always in slow motion
Shape of plates are revealed by geological events (volcanoes, earthquakes, mountains).
Lithosphere
Topmost mantle
Broken down into smaller pieces called tectonic plates
Continental Drift Evidence
Fossil Evidence: Fossils of plants and animals were found on separate continents
Climate evidence: Tropical plant fossils in cold areas and glaciers in warm areas.
Geological evidence: similar rocks found across the world
Continental Crust
Thicker and less dense than oceanic crust. Because of this it floats to the top, forming dry land.
Asthenosphere
Upper part of the mantle, semi-solid and flows slowly. It is below the lithosphere and convection is though to occur.
Oceanic Crust
Thinner, colder, and more dense than continental crust. It is also younger than continental crust.
Core
Liquid made of nickel; center of Earth and is very dense. It is responsible for Earth’s magnetic field.
Upper Mantle
Semi-solid
Causes tectonic plates to move
Lower Mantle
Magma, liquid, and located about outer core
Crust
Part of the land we walk on; surface
Ocean Trenches
Large, subduction.
The deepest spot of the planet.
Trenches = Subduction
Long, narrow depressions
Created when old crust is pushed beneath another plate
Sea Floor Spreading
Magma comes up from the crust and cools which creates land and mountains (underwater).
The farther away from the crack, the older the rocks are.
Mid-Ocean Ridges
Mountains found in oceans - deep rift valley in between the two ridges
Occur along divergent boundaries where new ocean floor is created as tectonic plates spread apart.
Atom
Atoms are too small to see with our eyes
Smallest part of molecule
Nucleus
A nucleus is a dense positively charged mass located in the center of the atom.
Atoms contain nucleuses
Subatomic Particles
Protons, Neutrons, Electrons
Atomic Number
protons in 1/11 of atom
Different for every atom
Atoms are natural
Positive charges are balanced by negative charges
Equal number of elements
Mass Number
Sum of Proton and Neutron
neutrons = mass - atomic
Chemical equations
Reactants = Products
To show that mass is preserved, there must be the same amount of elements on both sides.
Double Replacement (Chemical Reactions)
Two elements switched two spots
Decomposition (Chemical Reactions)
One compound turns into two separate compounds
Combustion (Chemical Reaction)
Anything that produces water and oxygen
Synthesis (Chemical Reaction)
Two or more substances
Pure Substance
Fixed composition
Elements
Compounds
Mixtures
Have a variable compsition
What is Newton’s First Law?
An object in motion tends to stay in motion and an object at rest tends to stay at rest until acted upon by an unbalanced force.
What is Newton’s Second Law?
Force equals mass times acceleration (F=MA)
What is Newton’s Third Law?
For every action there is a equal and opposite reaction.
Inertia
The tendancy of an object to resist changes in it’s state of motion
Acceleration
A measurement of when velocity changes
Velocity
The rate of change of a position along a straight line with respect with time.
Big Bang Theory
14 B years ago the material was compressed and then exploded into the universe
What are the two confirmations of the Big Bang Theory?
- Moving Galaxies
- Cosmic Background Radiation (CBR)
Solar Eclipse
Happens when the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth
Only during the day
Only during new moon phase
Does not occur often because of small shadow
Lunar Eclipse
Earth blocks moon from Sun
Always full moon phase
Frequent because Earth has a large umbra
Penumbra
Partial eclipse
Umbra
Total eclipse
Nebula
A cloud of dust, hydrogen, and helium gas
Created from similarity expansion
Over time, small particles came together then collided
What are stars made of?
Hydrogen
Protostar
Ball of gas and dust that is pulled together by gravity
Main Sequence Star
Middle age
Longest age
All stars go through main sequence phase
Spiral Galaxies
Have a bulge of older stars in the middle with arms of younger stars that spiral around
Elliptical Galaxies
Shaped like spheres of flattened eggs. All the stars present are old.
Irregular Galaxies
Faint galaxies with no regular shape. Smaller than most galaxies with fewer stars.
Igneous Rock
Formed from cooling lava and hardening of magma
Granite, Basalt, obsidian
Sedimentary Rock
Formed from compacting sediments
Makes up small percentage of Earth’s crust
Limestore, sandstone
Metamorphic Rock
Form from extreme heat and pressure
Marble, slate
Rock cycle
Rocks are created, changed, destroyed, and formed again
All rocks begin as igneous rocks
It can take millions of years for rocks to change
Topographic Maps
The landforms and elevation of an area
Index contour lines
Lines which have a measurement
Every 5 contour lines are index contour lines
Landforms
Anything that physically impacts an area (mountains, hills, lakes, ponds, etc.)
Elevation
How high an object is from sea level
Contour interval
The change in elevation that each contour line represents.
