Download PHYSICAL SCIENCE STUDY GUIDE CHAPTER 10: 1. What are the

PHYSICAL SCIENCE STUDY GUIDE
CHAPTER 10:
1. What are the names and chemical symbols for the fifteen most common elements?
2. Explain the meaning of the symbol N and all the symbols in this designation:
3. Describe the constituents, structure, and scale of an atom.
4. List the four basic forces of the universe in order of strength. Describe the role of each one in
the universe and discuss their ranges.
5. Name and describe the three different isotopes of hydrogen.
6. Describe the three types of radioactive decay, and give numerical examples of each.
7. What is meant by the “half-life” of a radioactive element? Be able to say what fraction of an
element is left after a certain number of half-lives.
8. Describe the carbon-14 method of dating organic materials.
9. Describe the process of nuclear fission, with some examples.
10. What is the purpose and method for the enrichment of 235U?
11. Describe the workings of a nuclear fission reactor, including its components.
12. What is needed for a sustainable nuclear chain reaction?
13. Describe the construction and operation of an atomic bomb.
14. What does E = mc2 really mean? How does it relate to fission reactions?
15. Describe the process of nuclear fusion and the conditions needed for it to happen.
16. What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion?
17. Describe the workings of a hydrogen bomb.
18. What are the biological effects of radiation and what are some of today’s radiation hazards?
19. Describe the exchange particles for each of the four basic forces.
20. Describe the quark theory of elementary particles.
CHAPTER 16:
1. Describe the various kinds of objects that make up the solar system.
2. Compare Copernicus’ heliocentric solar system with Ptolemy’s geocentric solar system.
How does each explain the retrograde motion of the planets?
3. State and explain each of Kepler’s three laws of planetary motion.
4. Mention several of Galileo’s telescopic observations and explain how they support the
heliocentric viewpoint of the solar system.
5. Name the terrestrial planets and the jovian planets and compare the terrestrial planets
with the Jovian planets in terms of size, composition and density.
6. What proofs are there that the Earth is round, is rotating and is revolving around the sun?
7. Describe the planets Mercury, Venus and Mars, in terms of size, surface characteristics
atmosphere, rotation, and temperature.
8. List the various spacecraft that have landed on Mars, and discuss their findings.
9. Describe the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in terms of size, atmosphere,
composition, rotation and magnetic fields.
10. Describe the various spacecraft that have explored the outer solar system, including
Voyager, Galileo, Cassini, and New Horizons
11. Describe the objects in the Kuiper belt, including the Pluto system, and some other dwarf
planets, including Eris.
12. Discuss the current theory on the origin of the solar system. How does this theory explain
the characteristics of the solar system?
13. Explain the two major methods of finding exoplanets, and describe some of the
exoplanets that have been found.
Chapter 17:
1. How is the month related to the Moon?
2. Why do we see only one side of the Moon from the Earth?
3. Identify the major named surface features of the Moon.
4. Explain the nature and origin of the Moon’s seas, craters, rays, and mountains.
5. Describe the history of manned lunar exploration
6. Explain the phases of the Moon, including the terms “waxing” and “waning”.
7. What causes the tides. Why are there two high tides, at any given time?
8. Explain neap tides and spring tides.
9. Explain the relative positions of Earth, Sun and Moon during the various types of eclipses.
10. Name and describe the moons of Mars.
11. Describe the four Galilean satellites of Jupiter in terms of size, appearance, surface
characteristics and interior.
12. Describe Saturn’s moons Titan, Enceladus, and Iapetus, in terms of size, appearance,
surface characteristics and interior.
13. Describe Uranus’ moon Miranda and Neptune’s moon Triton, in terms of size,
appearance, surface characteristics and interior.
14. Describe the location of the Kuiper Belt and the things that dwell there.
15. Describe the moons of Pluto, Eris and Haumea.
16. Discus the locations and characteristics of asteroids. Name and describe Vesta and Ceres.
17. Discuss the nature and origin of Meteorites.
18. Describe the appearance, nature and origin of comets. Why does the tail always point
away from the sun?
Chapter 18:
1. Describe the purpose and components of the celestial sphere. Include the terms right
ascension and declination.
2. Explain the parallax method of measuring distances to stars, including the term parsec.
How is this method limited?
3. Describe the chief characteristics of the Sun.
4. Explain what makes the Sun shine (its source of energy.)
5. Describe the magnitude scale for measuring the brightness of stars. What is the
difference between apparent magnitude and absolute magnitude and how can they be
used to find the distance to a star?
6. What does the H-R diagram plot on its axes? Locate and describe the various types of
stars as plotted on the H-R diagram.
7. Describe the life cycles of low-mass and high-mass stars.
8. Describe the structure, components, and scale of our galaxy, the Milky Way. Include the
term dark matter.
9. Identify different shapes of galaxies as classified by Edwin Hubble.
10. Describe our local neighborhood of galaxies.
11. Explain the evidence that the universe is expanding, including the terms Hubble’s Law
and dark energy.
12. Describe the early history of the universe, including the terms Big Bang, microwave
background radiation and inflation
Chapter 19:
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What are the three major components of the air you breathe?
Describe the process of photosynthesis; its mechanism and its effects.
Describe the action and importance of ozone in the upper atmosphere.
Discuss the phenomenon of climate change; its causes and its effects. What is the
evidence for this?
Chapter 21:
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How big is the Earth in terms of miles, kilometers, and driving time?
Describe the interior of the Earth, and the evidence for this.
Describe the location and properties of the lithosphere and the asthenosphere.
Describe the evidence for the plate tectonic theory.
Explain the causes and effects of tectonic plate motion, including locations of examples of
the effects. Include the terms subduction,
6. Describe the history of continent formation.
7. Name and describe the three main types of plate boundaries. What happens at each one?
8. How does plate tectonics explain earthquakes, volcanoes and mountain building?