Science Semester 2 study guide

Question 1

What is the difference between an asteroid and a comet?

Answer 1

Asteroid - rock, orbiting between mars and Jupiter (asteroid belt)
Comet - ice/dust orbiting the sun

Question 2

What force gives the planets. stars, and the solar system their shape?

Answer 2

Gravity

Question 3

As mass ________, gravity increases. As distance increases, gravity _______.

Answer 3

increases/decreases

Question 4

How many phases of the moon are there. What are they?

Answer 4

8. New moon, waxing crescent, first quarter moon, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent.

Question 5

Why does Earth experience day and night?

Answer 5

Because the Earth rotates on its axis

Question 6

What causes the Earth’s seasons

Answer 6

The tilt of the Earth’s Axis which is 23.5 degrees.

Question 7

What is our sun and where is it located?

Answer 7

A star located in the middle of the solar system

Question 8

What is a waxing moon?

Answer 8

Light is growing on the right

Question 9

What is a waning moon?

Answer 9

Light is decreasing on the left.

Question 10

How long does the moon take to revolve around the Earth?

Answer 10

About 1 month/ 29.5 days

Question 11

What’s the difference between a planet’s revolution and rotation?

Answer 11

revolution - orbiting, takes a year
rotation - spinning, takes a day

Question 12

what causes a solar eclipse? Where are the Sun, Earth, and Moon?

Answer 12

When the moon passes between the Sun and Earth and casts a shadow on the Earth. The moon is between the Sun and Earth.

Question 13

What causes a lunar eclipse? Where are the Sun, Moon, and Earth?

Answer 13

When the Moon moves into the Earth’s shadow, and it darkened the moon. The Earth is between the Sun and Moon.

Question 14

What is DNA? Where is it found? How is it structured?

Answer 14

Blueprint for life, found in the nucleus of a cell, double-helix shape.

Question 15

How many chromosomes do we have? Where do they come from?

Answer 15

46 chromosomes, 23 Dad and 23 from Mom

Question 16

What is a gene?

Answer 16

Part of DNA that codes for a trait.

Question 17

What are traits?

Answer 17

Characteristics that are passed down.

Question 18

What happens when a gene mutates?

Answer 18

Gene codes change, can also change traits

Question 19

What is comparative embryology?

Answer 19

The study/comparison of embryos (eggs)

Question 20

What is a common embryological feature shared by vertebrates?

Answer 20

spines, gill slits, eyes, and tails

Question 21

What is the Law of Superposition?

Answer 21

In horizontal rock layers, new rock layers are on the top and older rock layers are on the bottom.

Question 22

What are the 4 characteristics of index fossils?

Answer 22

identifiable, alive for short period of time, abundant, and found everywhere.

Question 23

What is natural selection?

Answer 23

survival of the fittest, beneficial, and can be passed down (reproduce)

Question 24

How are bird beaks an adaptation?

Answer 24

Some are made to eat different foods than others.

Question 25

How is the peppered moth an example of natural selection?

Answer 25

There was a change in the color of the trees and the dominant population.

Question 26

What is the Geologic Time Scale (GTS)?

Answer 26

The measure to describe Earth’s history by uts events