7th Grade Final-2014

Question 1

conditions in the atmosphere that change from day to day; determined by factors such as air pressure, humidity, and wind

Answer 1

weather

Question 2

a region’s general pattern of weather over a long period of time; influenced by factors such as latitude, landforms, and ocean currents

Answer 2

climate

Question 3

the Earth’s air; a mixture of gases, solids, and liquids that surround the Earth; divided into distinct layers

Answer 3

atmosphere

Question 4

generates air movement (wind) and ocean currents; results when cooler, denser material sinks, while warmer, less dense material rises

Answer 4

convection current

Question 5

narrow belts of strong winds; they form between cold, dry polar air and warm, moist tropical air

Answer 5

jet stream

Question 6

the boundary between 2 air masses with different temperature and moisture levels; usually results in stormy weather

Answer 6

front

Question 7

a measure of the force exerted by air on all objects; decreases rapidly as altitude increases

Answer 7

air pressure

Question 8

usually associated with dry weather and mostly clear skies; wind circulate in a clockwise direction

Answer 8

high pressure

Question 9

usually associated with clouds and precipitation; winds circulate in a counterclockwise direction

Answer 9

low pressure

Question 10

warmer than normal sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean; impacts global weather patterns; creates wetter than normal conditions in the southwest United States

Answer 10

El Nino

Question 11

boundary between a cold and a warm air mass, where the colder air replaces the receding warmer air

Answer 11

cold front

Question 12

boundary between a cold and a warm air mass, where the warmer air replaces the receding colder air

Answer 12

warm front

Question 13

oval or egg-shaped; such as in Earth’s path around the Sun

Answer 13

elliptical

Question 14

one of the 2 halves into which Earth is divided; the imaginary dividing line is called the equator

Answer 14

hemisphere

Question 15

an imaginary line drawn around the Earth; divides the Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres

Answer 15

equator

Question 16

either the shortest day of the year during winder or the longest day of the year during summer in the Northern Hemisphere

Answer 16

solstice

Question 17

a day during the autumn and spring when the periods of light and dark hours are equal

Answer 17

equinox

Question 18

occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth; or when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon blocking our view

Answer 18

eclipse

Question 19

the regular cycle of change in the appearance of the moon (29.5 days); depends on relative positions of the Moon, Earth, and Sun

Answer 19

moon phases

Question 20

to increase in size or intensity; when more and more of the lighted surface of the Moon is visible from Earth

Answer 20

waxing

Question 21

to decrease in size or intensity; when less and less of the lighted surface of the Moon is visible from Earth

Answer 21

waning

Question 22

when more than half (but not all) of the Moon’s lighted surface is visible from Earth

Answer 22

gibbous

Question 23

when the lighted side of the Moon faces away from Earth and is not visible; the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth

Answer 23

new moon

Question 24

when a small C-shaped portion of the Moon’s surface is visible from Earth

Answer 24

crescent

Question 25

the force of attraction between 2 objects; depends on the mass of the objects and the distance between them

Answer 25

gravitational attraction

Question 26

when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are precisely aligned, the Moon passes into the shadow of the Earth; Earth prevents sunlight from reaching the Moon

Answer 26

lunar eclipse

Question 27

when the Moon passes between Earth and Sun and casts a shadow upon Earth's surface; some portion of the Sun's disk is covered by the Moon

Answer 27

solar eclipse

Question 28

the alternating rise and fall of the Earth's oceans

Answer 28

tides

Question 29

when ocean water is at its greatest elevation or level; most places in the ocean experience 2 per day

Answer 29

high tide

Question 30

when ocean water is at its lowest elevation or level; most places in the ocean experience 2 per day

Answer 30

low tide

Question 31

states that the universe started about 12-15 billion years ago with an enormous explosion, resulting in an expanding universe

Answer 31

Big Bang Theory

Question 32

a cloud of gas and dust in space; it contracts under gravitational force; it is where new stars are formed

Answer 32

nebula

Question 33

huge sphere of very hot, glowing gas that produces its own light and energy in a process called nuclear fusion; our Sun is an example

Answer 33

star

Question 34

a graph showing the relationship between a star's temperature and its absolute magnitude or luminosity

Answer 34

H-R diagram

Question 35

a measure of the brightness of a star; can be either the amount of light given off (absolute) or the amount of light received on Earth (apparent)

Answer 35

magnitude

Question 36

a large grip of stars, gas, and dust help together by gravity; classification is based on shape, such as spiral, elliptical, or irregular

Answer 36

galaxy

Question 37

a group of stars forming a pattern that is traditionally named after its apparent form or a mythological figure

Answer 37

constellation

Question 38

measures the total amount of energy emitted by a star or other astronomical object

Answer 38

luminosity

Question 39

a region of space-time whose gravitational field is so strong that nothing which enters it, not even light, can escape

Answer 39

black hole

Question 40

the distance that light can travel in one year; equal to 9,500,000,000,000 km

Answer 40

light year

Question 41

a celestial body or manmade object that orbits a planet such as a moon or the Hubble space telescope

Answer 41

satellite

Question 42

an optical instrument, using a special arrangement of lenses and mirrors, that makes distant objects appear closer

Answer 42

telescope

Question 43

hottest, innermost, solid, dense center of the Earth; consists mainly of iron under great pressure

Answer 43

inner core

Question 44

liquid layer of the Earth's core composed of iron and nickel; located just below the mantle

Answer 44

outer core

Question 45

solid/plastic layer in Earth's interior between the crust and the outer core; separated into upper and lower regions

Answer 45

mantle

Question 46

the part of Earth's crust located under the ocean water; younger in age, thinner, and more dense

Answer 46

oceanic crust

Question 47

the part of Earth's crust located under the continents; older in age, thicker, and less dense

Answer 47

continental crust

Question 48

a fracture in the Earth's crust where stress builds up and movement occurs

Answer 48

fault

Question 49

1912 hypothesis developed by Alfred Wegener; stating that continents were once connected "like puzzle pieces," then drifted apart

Answer 49

continental drift

Question 50

theory the Earth's lithosphere (outer rigid layer) is composed of pieces, or "plates," that move as a result of convection in the mantle

Answer 50

plate tectonic theory

Question 51

the outer, rigid, solid part of the earth, including the crust and the uppermost part of mantle; it is about 100 km thick

Answer 51

lithosphere

Question 52

where 2 tectonic plates are moving away from each other, new crust is created; such as in mid-oceanic ridges

Answer 52

divergent boundary

Question 53

where 2 tectonic plates are moving towards each other, crust is destroyed; forms oceanic trenches, mountains, and volcanic islands

Answer 53

convergent boundary

Question 54

where 2 tectonic plates slide against or past each other, crust is not created or destroyed; earthquakes result

Answer 54

transform boundary

Question 55

photographs taken from space and transmitted to Earth by artificial satellites, such as the Hubble telescope

Answer 55

satellite image

Question 56

water that collects in cracks and spaces in soil, sand, and rock; can be stored in aquifers

Answer 56

groundwater

Question 57

water moving according to the laws of gravity from higher to lower elevation (downhill)

Answer 57

runoff

Question 58

the breaking down of rocks, soils, and minerals by mechanical or chemical processes

Answer 58

weathering

Question 59

the processes by which soil and rock are removed and transported, such as by wind or water flow

Answer 59

erosion

Question 60

the accumulation of sediment transported by wind or water; happens when erosion stops and particles settle on a surface

Answer 60

deposition