Download OUTDOOR SCIENCE SCHOOL VOC (#1 – Test)

OUTDOOR SCIENCE SCHOOL VOC (#1 – Test)
1. (Pg 6) PLANET – “natural satellite” moving around the sun in nearly circular
(elliptical) paths called orbits
(a) 8 planets and 1 dwarf planet in solar system [distance from sun]
INNER PLANETS:
 Mercury [58,000,000 km] (88 Earth DAYS = “1” Mercury year)
 Venus
[108,000,000 km]
 Earth
[150,000,000 km] (Light from the sun traveling 186,000 mi/sec takes 8 minutes to
 Mars
reach Earth)
[228,000,000 km]
OUTER PLANETS:




Jupiter [778,000,000 km]
Saturn
[1,427,000,000 km]
Uranus [2,871,000,000 km]
Neptune [4,497,000,000 km] (Neptune & Pluto’s orbits are so large that twice during their
planet year Neptune is the farthest planet out)
 (dwarf planet) Pluto [5,913,000,000 km] (249 Earth YEARS = “1” Pluto year)
2. (Pg 6) ATMOSPHERE – the layers of gases surrounding the Earth and other planets
(a) Composition: 78% nitrogen [N], 21% oxygen [O], 0.9% argon [Ar],
0.03% carbon-dioxide [CO2]
(b) Layers: troposphere = lowest layer that we live in
stratosphere = the ozone layer [O3]
mesosphere = meteors burn up and their trails are visible
thermosphere = air is very thin
ionosphere = aurora borealis (Northern Lights) occurs
exosphere = communication satellites orbit Earth
3. (Pg 6) ABIOTIC – the non-living factors in the environment
(a) synonym = inorganic
(b) antonym = biotic
(c) (e.g.) in soil  the finely divided rock materials and minerals
(e.g.) water, sunlight, temperature, nutrients, wind
4. (Pg 6) ROCK – a non-living (abiotic) material composed of one or more minerals
(a) “3” types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic
5. (Pg 6) BIOTIC – pertaining to life and living things
(a) synonym = organism; organic
(b) antonym = abiotic
(c) (e.g.) in soil  the decayed plant and animal remains
6. (Pg 7; 195) CRUST – is the outermost solid layer of the Earth, consisting mostly of
crystalline rock only a few kilometers deep
(a) thickest area of the crust (granite rock) = mountains continental crust
thinnest area (basalt rock) = ocean floor  oceanic crust
(b) 5-70 km in thickness
(c) (drawing of crust)
7. (Pg 7; 195) MINERAL – an inorganic (non-living/abiotic) substance found in nature
(not human made) which forms rocks
(a) has a definite chemical composition and crystalline structure
8. (Pg 195; 10) OXYGEN [O] – is a colorless, odorless, gaseous element found in our
atmosphere
(a) 21% of the gas making up our air is oxygen [O]
(b) O2 allows aerobic (oxygenated environment) organisms to efficiently
convert food into energy (through cellular respiration)
(c) O2 is a chemical agent of weathering
(d) O3 is the chemical composition of the ozone layer
9. (Pg 7; 195) MANTLE – layer of the earth below the crust and above the core, made of
molten and solid rock
(a) lithosphere – solid-like, top portion of the upper mantle and the bottom
most portion of the crust that floats above the asthenosphere, which
causes the rigid area of the crust to crack and form the lithospheric plates
(b) asthenosphere – liquid, tar-like layer of the upper mantle below the
lithosphere creating a convection current movement, which causes the
plates to move
(c) mesosphere – lower mantle, almost solid-like above the core
(d) 3,000 km in depth
(e) (drawing of mantle)
10. (Pg 7; 195) MAGMA – molten (melted) rock material
(a) when exposed at the surface = lava
11. (Pg 195) CONVECTION CURRENT – is the circular movement of matter (molten
rock) that results from the differences in density caused by
variations in temperature
(a) warmer magma rises  closer to heat source
(b) cooler magma sinks  farther from heat source
(c) (drawing of convection current)
12. (Pg 7; 195) CORE – the center of the Earth, which is composed mostly of nickel [Ni]
and iron [Fe]
(a) outer core = composed of very liquid, molten metal which is moving
(b) inner core = dense, spinning, solid ball of metal (mostly iron [Fe])
(c) inner & outer core = 3,450 km in depth; together they give Earth its
magnetic field; depth from the crust to the center
of the core = 6,350 km
(d) (drawing of core)
13. (Pg 196) PLATE TECTONIC THEORY – the concept of continent formation
through the process of slowly moving plates in response
to the convection movement of the magma in the mantle
(a) the plates carry the continental crust and oceanic crust
(b) 7 “primary” lithospheric tectonic plates
*Pacific Plate
*African Plate
*North American Plate
*Antarctic Plate
*South American Plate
*Indo-Australian Plate
*Eurasian Plate
(c) North American Plate = continental USA, most of CA, and the San
Bernardino Mountains
Pacific Plate = mostly oceanic crust, Southern California & Hawaii
(d) Plate movement in one year = 3-5 cm (very slow)
Plate movement in one’s life time = 2 m (length of 2 baseball bats)
In 100 million years = plates will begin to move together
In 250 million years = a new Pangaea will be formed
14. (Pg 8) ACCUMULATION – a water cycle term referring to the “collection of
water into larger bodies of water such as rivers,
streams, lakes, oceans and ground water
(a) forms the hydrosphere – all the waters that cover or infiltrate the crust
accounting for 71% of the Earth’s surface
15. (Pg 8) PRECIPITATION – a water cycle term referring to water being “deposited”
on Earth in various forms
(a) (e.g.) rain, snow, sleet, hail or mist
16. (Pg 8) EVAPORATION – the process by which a liquid changes into a gas
(a) antonym = condensation
17. (Pg 9) CLIMATE – the average weather conditions of an area over a long period
of time
(a) Dana Point’s climate = “mediterranean”
18. (Pg 10) HUMIDITY – the content of moisture in the atmosphere at a given time
19. (Pg 10) METEOR – a stony or metallic piece of matter that completely burns out
during its passage through the Earth’s atmosphere
(a) synonym = falling star; shooting star
(b) mnemonic device = shorter word than meteorite; shorter journey