Science In Action Unit E Topic 1 & 2 Quiz Flashcards

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1
Q

Solstice

A

It comes from the Latin words sol meaning sun and stice
meaning stop
 June 21: Summer solstice, the longest day of the year
 December 21: winter solstice, the shortest day of the year
Ability to predict the beginning of summer and winter
 Huge monuments built to honour these changes
 They used only their naked eye to make these predictions but were highly
accurate

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2
Q

Equinox

A

Comes from the Latin eqi meaning equal, and nox
meaning night
 Day and night are equal
 March 21: Spring equinox
 September 22: Fall equinox

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3
Q

Stonehedge

A

Southern England
 Arranged in concentric circles
 Enormous stones mark summer and winter solstices
Placed to line up with the movements of the sun

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4
Q

Different Astronomical Devices

A

Sundial:
A stick in the ground
Used for over 7000 years
Where the shadow is pointing can help us tell time

Merkhet: Egyptians invented this device to predict the movements of the stars

Quadrant: Egyptians also invented this to measure a star’s height above the horizon

Astrolabe: Arabians used this tool to make accurate charts of the stars

Crodd-Staff: 14th-century astronomers used it to measure the angle between the moon and any stars

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5
Q

Telescope

A

Revolutionized astronomy
More of the night sky was visible than ever before Learn about our neighbours in the solar system
History:
Over 500 years after the invention of the first telescope
We have optic and radio telescopes, as well as space
based telescopes
Can see much farther and see more objects

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6
Q

Units of Distance

A

Astronomical Units (AU):
Used for measuring distances within our solar system
Equal to the average distance between the centre of
the earth to the centre of the sun (149 599 000 km)
Describe planets in relation to the sun
Light-Years:
Astronomical units are too small if we’re talking about objects outside of our solar system
The distance that light travels in one year
Approximately 9.5 TRILLION km
The next closest star to Earth is Proxima Centauri, 4 light-years away

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7
Q

Star Temperatures

A

Blue Colour = Hottest
Red Colour = Coolest

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8
Q

Life Cycles of “Sun-like Stars”

A

Nebula< SUN- LIKE STARS< Red giant< White Dwarf< Black Dwarf

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9
Q

Life Cycles of “Massive Star”

A

Nebula< MASSIVE STARS< Red supergiant< Supernova< Neutron Star or Black Hole

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10
Q

Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R diagram)

A

Compared surface temperature of stars to how bright they are (luminosity)
Stars fall into distinct groupings
Our sun belongs to the middle grouping in the diagram called the main sequence
90% of all stars fit in this group

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11
Q

Constellations vs. Asterism

A

Groupings of stars, and patterns in the night sky
88 constellations recognized by the International
Astronomical Union
Asterisms: unofficial groupings of stars
Ex. Ursa major= constellation, Big Dipper = asterism

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12
Q

Elliptical

A

Flattened “oval”
Is the shape of the predictable pathway that celestial bodies orbit on.
A type of galaxy including irregular + elliptical

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13
Q

Blackhole

A

Highly dense remnant of a star
Super strong gravity
No light can escape from inside the black hole
Invisible to telescopes
Material near a black hole becomes hot and bright
Astronomers know of blackholes because of that

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14
Q

Neutron Star

A

Rapidly spinning object
About 30km in diameter
A teaspoon of neutron star is so dense it would weight 100 000 t

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15
Q

Nebula (Singular)

A

Vast clouds of gas (mostly hydrogen) and dust in space, where stars form
More than 1 nebula is called “nebulae”

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16
Q

Celestial Sphere

A

Large imaginary sphere of sky around the earth

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17
Q

Solar Wind

A

Charged particles released by the sun
Earth is protected by it’s magnetic field

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18
Q

Protoplanet Hypothesis- Forming a
Solar System

A

A cloud of dust and gas in space begins swirling
Most of the material accumulates in the center- forms the sun (OVER 90%)
The remaining material accumulates in smaller clumps forming the planets

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19
Q

Planets

A

Each planet has its unique features
Divided into two planet groups: inner planets and outer planets
Technology has allowed us to learn about our nearest neighbors in space

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20
Q

Names

A

Mercury My
Venus Very
Earth Educated
Mars Mother
Jupiter Just
Saturn Served
Uranus Us
Neptune Noodles

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21
Q

Inner Planet

A

Also known as terrestrial planets:
 Earth-like
 Smaller
 Rocky
 No rings
 Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

22
Q

Outer Planet

A

Also known as Jovian planets:
 Jupiter-like
 Gas giants
 Have rings
 Jupiter, Saturn Uranus, Neptune

23
Q

Mercury

A

Telescopes and satellite data
Surface similar to the moon
No atmosphere- no protection
Temperatures vary greatly 400oC on the sunny side -180C on the dark side

24
Q

Venus

A

Earth’s twin: similar in diameter mass and gravity
Surface temperature is hot due to the greenhouse effect
Cannot see the surface of Venus via telescope- too cloudy
Rains sulfuric acid
1991 Magellan (a probe) mapped Venus using radio waves

25
Q

Earth

A

The only planet in our solar system where water exists in all three phases
The only planet in our solar system that can support life
Atmosphere protects from cosmic rays, ultraviolet rays

26
Q

Mars

A

Studied by telescope for centuries
Multiple robotic missions have landed on Mars, most recently Curiosity Rover
Red planet: due to iron oxide in the surface
Two small moons Phobos and Deimos

27
Q

Jupiter

A

Observed through telescopes since the 1600s
Observed by Voyager(1979) and Galileo(1990’s) probes
Juno(2016) currently orbiting to measure gravity, composition and magnetic field
Largest of all planets
Great Red Spot is a huge storm
Has thin rings, 16 moons
Made of hydrogen and helium

28
Q

Saturn

A

Large visible rings
Made of ice and dust
Observed by Voyager I and II (1980 & 1981) and Cassini (2004)
Has 19 moons
Made of hydrogen and helium

29
Q

Uranus

A

Voyager II has given most of our info
The Axis of rotation is on its side
Hydrogen & Helium
Methane in its atmosphere makes it appear blue
Large ring system
17 moons

30
Q

Neptune

A

Voyager II relayed info
Made of hydrogen and helium
Bluish in colour from methane
Ring system
Eight moons

31
Q

Pluto

A

No longer a planet
Now known as a minor planet
Orbit crosses paths with Neptune

32
Q

Asteroids

A

Asteroid belt: between Mars and Jupiter
Small metallic or rocky bodies travelling in space
Could be a few meters to several hundred kilometres

33
Q

Comets

A

“dirty snowballs”
Made of dust and ice, travels through space
Long tails and bright glow only appear when they are close to the sun
Gas released by the sun heating them
Mostly spend their time on the edge of the solar system

34
Q

Haley’s Comet

A

Sometimes comets can end up in the regular orbit of the sun
Will predictably show up because their paths are large ellipses
Halley’s Comet is an example: seen every 76 years

35
Q

Meteoroids, Meteors, and Meteorites

A

Meteroids: Small pieces of rock flying through space with no particular
path
Meteor: Pulled into Earth’s gravity, heat of the atmosphere causes it to
give off light. “shooting stars”
Meteorite: If it hits earth’s surface

36
Q

Archytas

A

An ancient Greek
The origin of rockets comes from him
Used escaping steam to propel a model pidgeon along wires

37
Q

The major physics principle behind making a rocket move

A

Newtons 3rd Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction
Think of a balloon, that will travel in the direction opposite where the air is being released
Rockets work in a similar way

38
Q

How do rockets work

A

Gas under pressure confined in a chamber
Opening allows the gas to be released
Thrust (push) causes the rocket to be pushed into the
opposite direction

39
Q

Global Positioning System (GPS)

A

Let’s you know exactly where you are
Signals received from satellites are converted by a computer to a digital display
74 satellites have been launched, only need 24 for GPS to work correctly
Must have sightlines to 4 satellites to find your position

40
Q

Launching into Space

A

Space: Outside Earth’s atmosphere
To escape Earth’s gravity & leave the atmosphere the object needs to have a speed of 28,000 km/h

41
Q

Artificial Satellites

A

Small body that orbits a larger body
There are 2 Types: Natural & Artificial
Artificial:
Built and sent into orbit by humans
Small structures loaded with electronic equipment
Transmit information to ground stations via radio waves
Sputnik was the first and was used as a communications satellite
Used to observe or transmit information around the earth
Natural:
Moon

42
Q

First animal launches into orbit

A

A month later they launched another capsule, with a dog named
Laika
 The first time any living creature orbited the Earth
 Started the path for human space travel

43
Q

3 main parts of a rocket

A

Structural and Mechanical Elements:
Rockets, engines, storage tanks, fins etc.
Fuel:
Could be liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen, or gasoline. Lit in exhaust chamber to cause propulsion
Payload:
Materials needed for flight ex. Crew cabins, food, water, air, people

44
Q

Types of Space Craft

A

Shuttles: Carry people and equipment to orbiting spacecraft

Probes: Contain instrumentation to carry out robotic exploration of space

Space station: Orbiting spacecraft with living quarters, work areas and supports to allow people to live and work in space for long periods

45
Q

Ion Drives

A

Engines that use xenon gas (A noble gas)
▪ Electrically charge then accelerate the xenon
▪ Causes exhaust and propulsion opposite to the emission
▪ Not as strong as chemically fueled rockets, but can last a longer time
▪ BepiColombo- October 2018 to launch Mercury orbiters
Xenon is the least reactive elements & rarely react with other elements

46
Q

Solar Sails

A

Similar idea to sails on a boat
Harness the sun’s light
Uses the electromagnetic energy of photons to move
IKAROS: In May 2010 was the first craft to use a solar sail

47
Q

Categories of Space Hazards

A

Environmental:
Space is a vacuum = no air, no water
Cosmic rays and solar radiation
Possibility of being hit by meteoroids
Temperatures can range from really hot to cold
No pressure to help regulate the heartbeat

Psychological:
Cramped quarters
 Stuck with the same people for months at a time
You can’t just go take a walk…

Physiological:
Microgravity: When little or no gravity is acting on a body.
A person in space is almost completely weightless

48
Q

How does weightlessness affect our body?

A

Bones:
Have less pressure so they expand
Begin to deteriorate and release minerals (calcium) into the bloodstream

Heart: Doesn’t have to pump as hard to circulate blood

Muscles: Lifting & walking muscles aren’t used much, they weaken and shrink

Kidneys: Form stones from increased calcium

Eyes: Depth perception is affected

49
Q

Space Suit

A

Must dress appropriately for the conditions
When leaving the space craft astronauts need to bring everything with them air, water, heating cooling and washroom.
Must be flexible enough to do work
Custom designed for the astronauts wearing it

50
Q

Spin-off Technology:

A

Items that were created for a space environment are
now commonplace on earth
Categories:
Computer technology:
Space Use:
Structural analysis of spacecraft
Monitoring air quality
Simulation of the space environment for training
 Earth Use
▪ Microelectronics in appliances
▪ Structural analysis of buildings and bridges
▪ Virtual reality

51
Q

Categories of Spin-off Technology

A

Computer technology:
Space Use:
Structural analysis of spacecraft
Monitoring air quality
Simulation of the space environment for training
 Earth Use
▪ Microelectronics in appliances
▪ Structural analysis of buildings and bridges
▪ Virtual reality

Consumer technology:
 Space
▪ Space food
▪ Study aerodynamics & insulation
 Earth
▪ Baby food & freeze-dried food
▪ Improved helmets, balls, shoes, ski goggles

Medical & Health technology:
 Space
▪ Electronics from the Hubble Space Telescope
▪ Slow-release medication for motion sickness
▪ Microcircuits
▪ Communications and robotics
 Earth
▪ Digital imaging
▪ Motion sickness medication
▪ Voice-controlled wheelchairs