SCIENCE FINAL (GOOD LUCK!) Flashcards
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?
125 grams (500/2=250/2=125)
Why is GPS data useful in monitoring plate movement?
It’s able to detect movement in the crust
Are Earth’s tectonic plates moving now? Have they moved in the past? How do we know?
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.
Differentiate between a meteor, meteorite, and a meteoroid.
Meteoroids are in space, meteors are in the atmosphere, and meteorites are on Earth
Why are meteorites considered sources of valuable scientific information?
Because they are formed out of the same material that the solar system is made of and that is useful for dating
What is the formula for Kepler’s third law?
P2=A3 (Orbital period (P) to average distance (A))
What are some factors that can determine the amount of damage a building will incur during an earthquake?
distance from the earthquake, how strong the earthquake is, the earthquake duration, building materials
How do buildings built on loose ground tend to do during earthquakes?
They do not do well and will almost always fall over
What is the thickest layer of the Earth?
Mantle
What cyclical motion in the mantle causes the tectonic plates to move, forces on the lithosphere, and heat transfer?
Mantle convection
According to the solar nebula condensation theory, what did the solar system form from?
The remnants from a supernova explosion
How long ago did the big bang occur?
13.8 billion years ago
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?
Transform
Millions of years from now, what will happen to the distance between North America and Europe? Why?
They will move further apart because they are divergent (←→) plate boundaries
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.
There is convergent (→←), divergent (←→), and transform boundaries (↑↓)
What drives tectonic plate movement?
Convection currents which is caused by changes in heat
Where on Earth is new crust formed? Old crust destroyed?
New crust is formed along divergent plate boundaries, and old crust is destroyed in subduction zones
What are the highest mountains on Earth? How did they form?
The Himalayan Mountains. They formed from 2 continental convergent plate boundaries (Eurasian and Indian plate)
Why does California have a lot of earthquakes?
It is along a transform fault boundary
What material can S waves not travel through?
Liquid (outer core)
Are rocky, Earth-like planets considered terrestrial or Jovian?
Terrestrial
What is a hypocenter/Focus?
The hypocenter is the the epicenter of the earthquake along with its depth
What happens to a planet’s orbital speed as it gets closer to its central star?
It moves faster
What layer of the Earth is part crust and part mantle?
Lithosphere
What shape do all of our planets have as they orbit the sun?
Ellipse
What event created the heavy elements found on Earth?
Supernova
Where are all elements heavier than hydrogen created?
Stars
Where did most of the Hydrogen in the universe come from?
The Big Bang
If a sample has undergone one half-life, what percentage of the original radioactive isotope remains?
50%
Draw an ellipse with low and high eccentricity.
◯ = low ⬯ = High
Compare the strength of a 5.0 and a 7.0 magnitude earthquake.
A 7.0 is 100 times (10*10) stronger than a 5.0
Name 3 things that can be observed at the surface near a transform fault.
There are big cracks and things that once lined up (like fences) no longer line up, crack buildings
What is the most important factor that determines how long a star will undergo fusion?
It’s mass
What is the Earth’s inner core composed of?
Solid nickel and iron
What part of the USA is most geologically active? Why?
Alaska because is is a convergent plate boundary
What layer of the Earth can most earthquakes be found?
Lithosphere
Using Kepler’s law, determine the orbital period of a planet that has a semimajor axis of 4 AU.
8 years (P2=(4)^3 P2=64 P=√64 P=8)
Where is most of the mass in our solar system found?
The sun
If you are viewing spectral line images, how can you determine if one element is heavier than another?
How many lines it has (the heavier, the more lines)
What general type of rock will contain fossils?
Sedimentary
Why do gas giants and ice giants typically not exist close to their central star?
They need to be cold in order to form
How does the lithosphere compare to the asthenosphere in terms of temperature and rigidity?
The Lithosphere is colder and more ridged. The asthenosphere is hotter and more flexible
What happens to the plates involved in a subduction zone?
The denser one will slide underneath the the less dense one
What key process causes a star to begin to “shine”?
Nuclear fusion
What will determine the properties of a mineral?
The atom and its atomic stucture
What determines if you have a trench or a mountain range at a convergent boundary?
Density difference
What instrument records earthquakes?
Seismometer
Why can meteorites be used to estimate the age of the Earth?
They contain minerals from the formation of the earth
What determines if a rock is classified as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic?
How it formed
Why are 3 seismometers needed to locate the epicenter of an earthquake?
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
Why is spectroscopy useful in identifying temperature and composition of a planet?
Planets reflect starlight