SCIENCE FINAL (GOOD LUCK!) Flashcards

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1
Q

U-235 decays into Pb-207. It has a half-life of 700 million years. How much U-235 of a 500g sample will remain after 1400 million years?

A

125 grams (500/2=250/2=125)

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2
Q

Why is GPS data useful in monitoring plate movement?

A

It’s able to detect movement in the crust

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3
Q

Are Earth’s tectonic plates moving now? Have they moved in the past? How do we know?

A

The plates have been moving for millions of years and are still moving today. We know this because of GPS data, geologic makers, and earthquakes, etc.

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4
Q

Differentiate between a meteor, meteorite, and a meteoroid.

A

Meteoroids are in space, meteors are in the atmosphere, and meteorites are on Earth

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5
Q

Why are meteorites considered sources of valuable scientific information?

A

Because they are formed out of the same material that the solar system is made of and that is useful for dating

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6
Q

What is the formula for Kepler’s third law?

A

P2=A3 (Orbital period (P) to average distance (A))

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7
Q

What are some factors that can determine the amount of damage a building will incur during an earthquake?

A

distance from the earthquake, how strong the earthquake is, the earthquake duration, building materials

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8
Q

How do buildings built on loose ground tend to do during earthquakes?

A

They do not do well and will almost always fall over

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9
Q

What is the thickest layer of the Earth?

A

Mantle

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10
Q

What cyclical motion in the mantle causes the tectonic plates to move, forces on the lithosphere, and heat transfer?

A

Mantle convection

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11
Q

According to the solar nebula condensation theory, what did the solar system form from?

A

The remnants from a supernova explosion

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12
Q

How long ago did the big bang occur?

A

13.8 billion years ago

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13
Q

GPS data on either side of a north-south trending fault show a 34.1 mm/year northerly movement for the east side and a 34.8 mm/year northerly movement on the west side. This measured movement indicates what type of plate boundary?

A

Transform

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14
Q

Millions of years from now, what will happen to the distance between North America and Europe? Why?

A

They will move further apart because they are divergent (←→) plate boundaries

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15
Q

Name and describe the 3 types of plate boundaries. Be able to identify them on a map that has arrows to indicate relative plate movement.

A

There is convergent (→←), divergent (←→), and transform boundaries (↑↓)

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16
Q

What drives tectonic plate movement?

A

Convection currents which is caused by changes in heat

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17
Q

Where on Earth is new crust formed? Old crust destroyed?

A

New crust is formed along divergent plate boundaries, and old crust is destroyed in subduction zones

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18
Q

What are the highest mountains on Earth? How did they form?

A

The Himalayan Mountains. They formed from 2 continental convergent plate boundaries (Eurasian and Indian plate)

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19
Q

Why does California have a lot of earthquakes?

A

It is along a transform fault boundary

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20
Q

What material can S waves not travel through?

A

Liquid (outer core)

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21
Q

Are rocky, Earth-like planets considered terrestrial or Jovian?

A

Terrestrial

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22
Q

What is a hypocenter/Focus?

A

The hypocenter is the the epicenter of the earthquake along with its depth

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23
Q

What happens to a planet’s orbital speed as it gets closer to its central star?

A

It moves faster

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24
Q

What layer of the Earth is part crust and part mantle?

A

Lithosphere

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25
Q

What shape do all of our planets have as they orbit the sun?

A

Ellipse

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26
Q

What event created the heavy elements found on Earth?

A

Supernova

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27
Q

Where are all elements heavier than hydrogen created?

A

Stars

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28
Q

Where did most of the Hydrogen in the universe come from?

A

The Big Bang

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29
Q

If a sample has undergone one half-life, what percentage of the original radioactive isotope remains?

A

50%

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30
Q

Draw an ellipse with low and high eccentricity.

A

◯ = low ⬯ = High

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31
Q

Compare the strength of a 5.0 and a 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

A

A 7.0 is 100 times (10*10) stronger than a 5.0

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32
Q

Name 3 things that can be observed at the surface near a transform fault.

A

There are big cracks and things that once lined up (like fences) no longer line up, crack buildings

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33
Q

What is the most important factor that determines how long a star will undergo fusion?

A

It’s mass

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34
Q

What is the Earth’s inner core composed of?

A

Solid nickel and iron

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35
Q

What part of the USA is most geologically active? Why?

A

Alaska because is is a convergent plate boundary

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36
Q

What layer of the Earth can most earthquakes be found?

A

Lithosphere

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37
Q

Using Kepler’s law, determine the orbital period of a planet that has a semimajor axis of 4 AU.

A

8 years (P2=(4)^3 P2=64 P=√64 P=8)

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38
Q

Where is most of the mass in our solar system found?

A

The sun

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39
Q

If you are viewing spectral line images, how can you determine if one element is heavier than another?

A

How many lines it has (the heavier, the more lines)

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40
Q

What general type of rock will contain fossils?

A

Sedimentary

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41
Q

Why do gas giants and ice giants typically not exist close to their central star?

A

They need to be cold in order to form

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42
Q

How does the lithosphere compare to the asthenosphere in terms of temperature and rigidity?

A

The Lithosphere is colder and more ridged. The asthenosphere is hotter and more flexible

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43
Q

What happens to the plates involved in a subduction zone?

A

The denser one will slide underneath the the less dense one

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44
Q

What key process causes a star to begin to “shine”?

A

Nuclear fusion

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45
Q

What will determine the properties of a mineral?

A

The atom and its atomic stucture

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46
Q

What determines if you have a trench or a mountain range at a convergent boundary?

A

Density difference

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47
Q

What instrument records earthquakes?

A

Seismometer

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48
Q

Why can meteorites be used to estimate the age of the Earth?

A

They contain minerals from the formation of the earth

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49
Q

What determines if a rock is classified as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic?

A

How it formed

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50
Q

Why are 3 seismometers needed to locate the epicenter of an earthquake?

A

The time difference between P and S wave arrival in a seismograph only tells you how far away the earthquake is. You need three distances to triangulate the epicenter

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51
Q

Why is spectroscopy useful in identifying temperature and composition of a planet?

A

Planets reflect starlight

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52
Q

Where do most earthquakes occur?

A

Along fault line/plate boundaries

53
Q

What elements are created in supernovas?

A

Every element

54
Q

What will determine the hardness, cleavage, and crystal shape of a mineral?

A

The crystal structure/Internal atomic structure

55
Q

What is the underlying cause of continental drift?

A

Convection in the mantle

56
Q

What type of rock forms when lava cools?

A

Igneous rocks

57
Q

What determines if one mineral will scratch another?What scale is used for this?

A

The mineral’s hardness. This is called the Mohs scale

58
Q

What 2 elements were created during the big bang?

A

hydrogen and helium

59
Q

What are some sources of data about earthquakes?

A

GPS data, photographs, geologic markers, etc.

60
Q

What is the age of the planets in our solar system relative to one another?

A

They are all the relatively the same age

61
Q

Why are there so many volcanoes along the Pacific ring of fire?

A

Because that area has lots of subduction zones

62
Q

What has to be done to layers of sand for it to form sandstone?

A

It was buried and subjected to compaction and cementation

63
Q

Why do minerals have a characteristic shape even though they are formed at different times in different locations?

A

They have a similar atomic structure

64
Q

Name 3 properties of minerals that can be used to identify them.

A

Color, streak, cleavage, hardness, fracture, reaction to acid

65
Q

What stage of life do all stars experience?

A

Protostar

66
Q

What is the solar nebula condensation theory?

A

The idea that the solar system formed from a spinning nebula

67
Q

How is energy dissipated when large masses of rock move?

A

Earthquake/ seismic waves

68
Q

Name 3 things that can be found in our solar system

A

Sun,planets, comets, etc.

69
Q

Where do we think the planets in our Solar system came from?

A

Solar nebulas

70
Q

How can you determine the distance to an epicenter by analyzing a seismograph?

A

The difference in the arrival time of P and S waves

71
Q

What is the greatest source of information when studying the interior of the Earth?

A

Seismic waves

72
Q

What type of rock is formed under great heat and pressure?

A

Metamorphic

73
Q

How deep do the Earth’s plates go down from the surface of the Earth?

A

≈100 km

74
Q

What are Kepler’s 3 laws of motion?

A

P 2 = a 3 , where P is the orbital period of the planet in years and a is the average distance of the planet from the central star in astronomical units (AU).

A planet orbits the Sun in an ellipse, with the Sun at one focus of the ellipse.

A line connecting a planet to the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal time intervals.

75
Q

Where would you look for a dense, rocky planet if you were looking for one around a nearby star?

A

Planets closer to the central star

76
Q

What gives quartz its characteristic shape?

A

It’s internal atomic structure

77
Q

What is created by a sudden release of pressure along a fault?

A

Earthquake

78
Q

What type of plate boundary produces the largest earthquakes?

A

Convergent boundary

79
Q

Why does Mars appear red in color?

A

It reflects red light

80
Q

What are the final life stages of low mass, sun-like stars?

A

It forms a red giant then a planetary nebula with a white dwarf

81
Q

How are diamond and graphite similar? How are they different?

A

They are both made of carbon, but they have different crystal structures

82
Q

What type of rock will be formed as mud from a river is buried and cemented together?

A

Shale (Sedimentary)

83
Q

What are the layers of the Earth?

A

Crust, Lithosphere, Asthenosphere, Mantle, Outer Core, and Inner Core

84
Q

Will our sun explode in a supernova? Why?

A

No. It is not big enough

85
Q

What is a half-life?

A

The time it takes for half of the nuclei in a sample of a radioactive isotope to decay

86
Q

How can two rock outcrops with very similar characteristics be useful when studying plate tectonics?

A

They can be used to determine the rate and direction of fault motion

87
Q

What variables increase with depth within the Earth?

A

temperature, density, pressure

88
Q

What gets emitted by an atom as electrons move from higher energy levels to lower energy levels?

A

Light

89
Q

What type of plate boundary tends to have small, shallow earthquakes?

A

Divergent boundaries

90
Q

What is the problem with unreinforced concrete when it is put under stress by an earthquake?

A

It cannot withstand shear forces and crumbles which can result in building collapse

91
Q

Why is the chance of a large earthquake in Waterford minimal?

A

We are in the middle of a plate, and most earthquakes occur along the edge of the boundary

92
Q

What are the sources of heat that keep the core of the Earth warm?

A

Radioactive decay and remnants from the Earth’s formation

93
Q

What gets created as pieces of a comet break off and cruise around space?

A

Meteoroid

94
Q

What do we call small pieces of rock and dust that hit the atmosphere at speeds up to 70km/2 and burn up in the atmosphere?

A

Meteors

95
Q

What occurs when the Earth travels through the debris trail of a comet?

A

Meteor showers

96
Q

What is the approximate age of the sun?

A

4.6 billion years

97
Q

Why are comets sometimes called “dirty snowballs”

A

Because they are made of ice and rock

98
Q

What is the largest planet in our solar system?

A

Jupiter

99
Q

Why is Venus so hot?

A

It has a CO2 atmosphere, which traps heat

100
Q

What planet do we know has liquid water on its surface? Do we know of any others?

A

Earth is the only known planet with liquid water on its surface

101
Q

Name the planets from the sun outward.

A

Mercury,Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

102
Q

When are the sun’s most direct rays at the northernmost location?

A

June 21st (Summer solstice)

103
Q

What is the difference between rotation and revolution?

A

Rotation = spinning. Revolution = moving around the sun in an elliptical orbit

104
Q

What is molten rock above the surface of the Earth called? Beneath the surface?

A

When it’s above the surface it’s called lava, when it’s below it’s called magma

105
Q

Are P waves compressional waves or shear waves?

A

Compressional waves

106
Q

What caused Mount Hood to form in Oregon?

A

Subduction and magma flow to the surface formed the stratovolcano

107
Q

Draw a diagram of the rock cycle.

A

Diagram on study guide or you can look one up for reference

108
Q

How are sedimentary rocks turned into sediments?

A

Erosion and weathering

109
Q

How is limestone formed?

A

When calcium carbonate from organisms (shells) undergoes cementation and compaction

110
Q

What type of rock is formed when sediments are pressed or cemented together, when water evaporates and leaves crystals behind, or when sediments form from a solution?

A

Sedimentary rocks

111
Q

What shape do quartz crystals have?

A

Hexagonal

112
Q

What does Mohs scale measure?

A

A mineral’s hardness

113
Q

Where are most stars located on the H-R diagram?

A

Main sequence

114
Q

What happens to a main sequence star when it runs out of hydrogen?

A

It will fuse other elements and become red giants

115
Q

What color are the hottest stars? The coolest stars?

A

Hottest = blue Coldest=red

116
Q

What element is produced by hydrogen fusion in the sun?

A

Helium

117
Q

Why do faraway stars typically appear red in color? What is this evidence of?Where is our sun on the H-R diagram?

A

Red shift due to space expansion, evidence of the big bang

118
Q

Where is our sun on the H-R diagram?

A

The main sequence

119
Q

How do trenches form?

A

Typically by an oceanic plate subducting under a continental plate

120
Q

What is the primary evidence we have that Earth has a liquid, outer core?

A

S waves and the shadow zone

121
Q

How long does it take for Earth to rotate 360 degrees? Make one complete revolution?

A

24 hours to rotate 360° and 365 days to compete a full revolution

122
Q

What causes day and night?

A

The earth’s rotation

123
Q

What are index fossils and how are they used?

A

Index fossils are the remains of organisms that lived for a very short, specific amount of time. They can be used to date sediment layers.

124
Q

What indications can be seen prior to a tsunami?

A

Water receding and earthquakes beforehand

125
Q

Will volcanoes in the Cascades ever erupt again?

A

yes

126
Q

You are examining layers of sediment in the Grand Canyon. How can index fossils, radioactive decay, and the law of superposition be useful for you?

A

They can be used to date the layers of sediment

127
Q

What are the smaller components that make up rocks?

A

Minerals

128
Q

According to the law of superposition, what is the age of the uppermost layer of sediment relative to the other layers?

A

The youngest

129
Q

Note:

A

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