Download Midterm Test Reveiw

Midterm Test Review
ASTRONOMY
1. How long ago did the earth form? 4.5 billion years
ago
2. How long ago did the solar system form? 4.6 billion
years ago
3. How long ago did the universe form? 13.8 billion
years ago
4. What is the difference between a terrestrial planet
and a gas giant? Gas giants are made up of gases,
terrestrial planets are made up of rock
5. Which planets are gas giants? Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus and Neptune
6. Which planets are terrestrial? Mercury, Venus,
Earth and Mars
7. What does the Big Bang Theory state? Long ago,
the universe was much more dense and since then
has expanded and is still expanding
8. What units are used when measuring distances in
the solar system? Astronomical units
9. What units are used when measuring distances in
the universe? Light years
10.How do scientists know how old the earth is? They
radioactively date rocks and meteorites
11.How did the earth form? After the sun formed, the
earth formed from colliding with other matter in
the solar system
12.What does a red shift in light mean? The object is
getting closer to the observer
13.What are 2 things an H-R diagram can tell us about
a star? Brightness, temperature, color and type of
star (main sequence, red giant, etc)
14.Where were the following elements made?
A. Light elements (atomic number 1-3) during the big
bang
B. Heavier elements (atomic number 4-26) fusion
inside stars
C. Heaviest elements (atomic number 27 and higher)
supernova explosions
15. Earth’s atmosphere has 3 important things
that help make earth a habitable planet. List
what the three things AND describe how each of
them protect earth and help make it a habitable
planet.
Magnetic field: deflects harmful solar winds and
radiation
Ozone layer: reflects harmful U.V. radiation
Greenhouse gases: trap heat inside earth’s
atmosphere
16. What are the 5 requirements to make a planet
habitable? Liquid water, temperature, atmosphere,
nutrients, energy
17. What is the most important requirement that
makes a planet habitable? Liquid water
18. What is the difference between an abiotic factor
and a biotic factor in an ecosystem? Biotic factors
are living or once living things, abiotic are non-living
things
19. Give 3 examples of abiotic factors: water,
sunlight, temperature
20. Give 3 examples of biotic factors: plants,
animals, food
LAYERS OF EARTH
21. Describe the layers of the earth
Crust: thinnest layer, 2 types continental (granite) and oceanic
(basalt)
Mantle: 2nd layer down, plastic-like rock, convection currents
that move plates
Outer core: hot, liquid metal, creates the magnetic field
Inner core: solid metal, under the most pressure, hottest layer
27.Which layer of earth is made of liquid metal?
Outer core
28.Which layer of earth is made of solid metal?
Inner core
29.Which layer of earth is made of plastic-like
rock? Mantle
22.Which layer of earth creates the magnetic
field? Outer core
23.Which layer of earth is responsible for
moving the tectonic plates? mantle
24.Which layer of earth has convection
currents? mantle
25.What is convection? The transfer of heat
through the movement of a fluid
26.What causes convection in earth’s mantle?
Different temperatures in earth’s layers
PLATE TECTONICS
30. Name the 3 evidences Alfred Wegener had
for his theory of continental drift
Continents fit together like a puzzle
mountain ranges match on distant continents
fossil types match on different continents
31. In the 1950’s what did Harry Hess find out
that added to the theory of continental drift
that helped to create the theory of plate
tectonics? Seafloor spreading
32. What are the plate boundaries called that
move towards each other? Convergent
33. What are the plate boundaries called that
move away from each other? divergent
34. What are the plate boundaries called that
grind against each other? Transform
• 35. For the following, tell what type of boundary
or boundaries the formation created: Use the
words convergent, divergent, transform or all
boundaries
• Sea-floor spreading: divergent
• ocean trenches: convergent
• Earthquakes: all boundaries
• Mountain ranges: convergent
• island arc: convergent
• Rift valley: divergent
• volcanoes: convergent and divergent
• Mid-ocean ridge: divergent
VOLCANOES
36. Describe a shield volcano broad base with
gently sloping sides
37. Describe a cinder cone volcano: steep sides with
explosive eruptions
38. Describe a composite volcano: made of
alternating layers of lava and sediment
39. What type of eruptions do shield volcanoes
have? quiet
40. What type of eruptions do cinder cone
volcanoes have? explosive
41. What type of eruptions do composite volcanoes
have? Quiet and explosive
42. What is the difference between lava and magma?
Magma is under the surface, lava is above the surface
43. What is the difference between mafic and felsic
magma? Mafic magma is oceanic crust in quiet
eruptions, felsic magma is continental crust in
explosive eruptions
44. When a hot spot forms a chain of volcanoes or
volcanic islands, like Hawaii, explain what is
happening. The tectonic plate moves over the hot
spot creating one volcano at a time
45. Where do MOST volcanoes form? On
plate boundaries
46. Which plate boundary is where most of
the lava flows out of the earth? divergent
EARTHQUAKES
47. Which earthquake waves move the fastest? Pwaves
48. Which earthquake waves do the most damage?
Surface waves
49. Which earthquake waves do not travel through
liquids, only gases and solids? S-waves
50. What is an epicenter of an earthquake? The place
on earth’s surface directly above the focus
51. What is the focus of an earthquake? The place
inside earth where the movement starts
52. What is a tsunami? A giant wave created by
an underwater earthquake
53. Name a place you would want to live if you
DON’T want to be in an earthquake New York,
Kansas, Florida, Nebraska
54. Why do we study earthquakes and
volcanoes? Because they are geohazards that kill
and harm thousands of people every year