Download 91 Important Earth Science Facts

91 WAYS TO PASS THE EARTH SCIENCE
REGENTS
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The same substance always has the same density.
As pressure increases, density increases.
As temperature increases, density decreases.
Water expands when it freezes.
Most changes in the environment are cyclic.
Water is most dense at 4°C, when it is a liquid.
The true shape of the earth is an OBLATE SPHEROID, but LOOKS
like a perfect sphere.
8. The best model of the earth's shape is a sphere.
9. The altitude of Polaris equals your latitude.
10. Latitude lines go east-west.
11. Longitude lines go north-south.
12. Longitude is based on observations of the sun.
13. USE THE REFERENCE TABLES!
14. The closer isolines (contour-isobar-isotherm) are, the steeper the
slope or gradient.
15. The earth rotates west to east (24 hours).
16. The earth revolves counterclockwise (365¼ days).
17. All celestial objects APPEAR to move to the west. When facing
NORTH, they appear to go counter-clockwise around Polaris.
18. The moon has phases because of the angle at which we view its
surface (Remember though: half is always lit).
19. The same side of the moon always faces the earth. (Period of
rotation and revolution are equal)
20. Although subject to the same daily motion as other celestial objects,
planets appear to shift EAST a little each day among the background
of stars.
21. Outer planets APPEAR to go backwards (retrograde) as the earth
passes them in space.
22. Summer solstice - June 21 – 15 hours daylight - sun rises north of
east-vertical ray on 23½° North, Tropic of Cancer.
23. Winter solstice - December 21 - 9 hours daylight - sun rises south of
east-vertical ray on 23½° South, Tropic of Capricorn.
24. Equinoxes - Vernal - March 21, Autumnal - September 23, 12 hours
daylight, sun rises due east, vertical ray on equator.
25. Equator always has 12 hours of daylight.
26. The lower the altitude of the sun, the longer shadows it casts.
27. There are two proofs that the earth rotates:
FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM: appears to change its direction of
swing.
CORIOLIS EFFECT: deflects to the right in the N. hemisphere.
28. Earth is closer to the sun in winter.
29. USE THE REFERENCE TABLES!
30. The closer a planet is to the sun, the faster it orbits because gravity is
stronger.
31. GEOCENTRIC: earth centered universe
HELIOCENTRIC: sun centered
32. Black absorbs / white reflects
33. Conduction: molecule to molecule through collisions.
34. Convection: through fluids (gases, liquids) due to density
differences.
35. Radiation: through space (vacuum) ex. light.
36. Energy moves source to sink, high to low.
37. Kinetic energy: energy of motion, increases with velocity.
38. Potential energy: stored or at rest, increases with height.
39. There is NO temperature change at a phase change (Latent Heat)
40. Infrared has long wavelength.
41. Carbon dioxide and water vapor absorb infrared radiation.
42. Good absorbers of radiation are good radiators.
43. Hottest part of the year is after June 21 (time lag).
44. Hottest part of the day is after 12 noon (time lag).
45. As temperature increases, air pressure decreases.
46. As moisture content increases, air pressure decreases.
47. Air pressure decreases with altitude.
48. Highs are cool and dry; Lows are warm and wet.
49. Wind is due to air pressure differences.
50. Wind blows from high to low pressure.
51. Wind is named for the direction it is coming from.
52. Highs are regions of divergence (clockwise)
Lows are regions of convergence (counterclockwise)
53. The closer the air temperature is to the dew point temperature, the
greater the chance of precipitation (higher humidity).
54. Weather moves from west to east.
55. Cold fronts move the fastest.
56. Porosity (Percent pore space); it DOES NOT depend on particle size.
57. Permeability (connection of holes); as particle size increases,
permeability increases.
58. Capillarity (movement of water upward); it decreases with increasing
particle size.
59. Ep (potential evapotranspiration) depends on temperature and
duration of insolation.
60. Water bodies moderate temperature.
61. Air cools as it rises.
62. Orographic effect (Adiabatic changes)
63. Gravity is behind all erosion.
64. Streams are the number one agent of erosion.
65. Stream velocity depends on slope and discharge.
66. Velocity is faster on outside of meander bend.
67. Heavy-dense-spherical particles settle out first in water.
68. Graded bedding (vertical sorting) biggest sediments on the bottom.
69. Glacial sediments are unsorted, scratched, U shaped valley.
70. Stream deposits are sorted, round and smooth, V shaped valley.
71. Sedimentary rocks - strata - flat layers.
72. Igneous rocks:
cool fast - small crystals
cool slow - large crystals
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Metamorphic rocks: banding-distorted structure.
Mineral properties depend on internal arrangement of atoms.
Mid-ocean ridges: oceanic basalt crust created and spreads
Trenches: oceanic basalt crust subducts
P waves are faster than S waves
P waves travel through solids and liquids while S waves only go
through solids.
79. Need 3 seismometer stations to locate an epicenter
80. Undisturbed strata: bottom layer is oldest
81. Intrusions and faults are younger than the rock they are in
82. Unconformity: buried erosional surface
83. Arid landscape: steep slopes
84. Humid landscape: smooth, rounded slopes
85. USE THE REFERENCE TABLES!
86. Uranium 238 dates old rocks
87. Carbon 14 dates recent, once-living objects
88. Convection currents in the mantle move the plates
89. Always try to eliminate two answers
90. Main sequence stars are typical and middle-aged.
91. Stars off the main sequence are reaching the end of their life cycles.