earths resources

Question 1

a star

Answer 1

a glowing ball of gas held together by its own gravity and powered by nuclear fusion at its core
inside different elements collide to form new elements through stellar evolution

Question 2

how does a star form

Answer 2

begins with space dust and gas
comes together into a large cloud called a nebula
nebula begin to collapse inwards and start rotating faster
the gravitational attraction at the center leads to different elements colliding resulting in nuclear fusion or nucleosynthesis

Question 3

why do nebulae start rotating faster after collapsing

Answer 3

nebula have certain amount of angular momentum in original shape
after collapse the shape is smaller so it takes less energy to complete one rotation
however the angular momentum stays the same so the nebula must start spinning faster

Question 4

triple alpha process

Answer 4

process where three alpha particles (2 protons and 2 neutrons, same as nuclei of helium 4) fuse to form carbon 12

Question 5

what are supernova and their different types

Answer 5

supernovae are when stars explode and send various elements out into space, leaving behind a neutron star of a black hole
type 1 occurs when a white dwarf star (ran out of energy star) collides or takes too much matter form another star
type 2 occurs when the core of a star becomes to massive to fight gravity, resulting in it imploding

Question 6

kilanova

Answer 6

occurs when two neutron stars collide and create explosion thousands of times greater than normal nova

Question 7

renewable vs nonrenewable resource

Answer 7

renewable resources can be replaced in nature at a rate similar to its rate of use
nonrenewable resources are in fixed amounts or used faster than it can be replaced

Question 8

what is ore

Answer 8

ore is a naturally occurring solid material from which a metal or other valuable mineral can be mined or extracted

Question 9

what is a mineral

Answer 9

minerals are naturally occurring crystalline solids with specific chemical structures that give them their shape

Question 10

why are many ores located near plate boundaries

Answer 10

this is because ores are often generated by the solidification of magma

Question 11

what are fossil fuels

Answer 11

fossil fuels are the remains of living organisms trapped over time, turning into fuels due to their abundance of carbon bonds which create large amounts of energy when burned

Question 12

what creates fossil fuels deposits

Answer 12

fossil fuels deposits are usually created by tectonic plate movement
e.g. in the middle east an oceanic plate (rich in marine petroleum) subducted under continental plates, melting and creating petroleum which rose up to form a petroleum deposit

Question 13

what is differentiation

Answer 13

denser substances move to center while lighter substances move to surface

Question 14

what are the layers of the earth

Answer 14

inner core - dense sphere of solid iron and nickel
outer core - layer of molten iron and nickel
lower mantle - mostly viscous / solid rock
upper mantle - mostly viscous / solid rock
crust - rigid rock

Question 15

rock process

Answer 15

process on surface and inside of earth that changes one type of rock to another

Question 16

endogenic vs exogenic

Answer 16

endo = inside, exo = out
endogenic processes happen in the surface of the earth (e.g. plate movement)
exogenic processes happen outside of the surface (e.g. erosion from wind)

Question 17

lithosphere

Answer 17

uppermost solid layer of crust and mantle

Question 18

tectonic plates

Answer 18

theory that lithosphere is divided into plates that move around

Question 19

types of plate boundaries

Answer 19

convergent - plates come together, results in subduction creating volcanoes, mountains, or trenches
divergent - plates come apart, results in a rift valley or mid ocean ridge
transform - plates slide across causing earthquakes

Question 20

orogenisis

Answer 20

process that results in the creation of mountains

Question 21

volcanism

Answer 21

any activity or process that moves magma towards or onto surface

Question 22

what are some mineral deposits from magma (magma chamber, porphyry, hydrothermal, epithermal)

Answer 22

in magma chambers magma carries minerals which then solidify and create ore deposits
porphyry deposits are from porphyritic rock (mix of fine and coarse minerals)
in hydrothermal deposits, chemicals and heat from magma results in reactions and fractures that create mineral deposits
epithermal deposits are similar to hydrothermal deposits but formed in hot springs instead of underwater

Question 23

what is a placer deposit

Answer 23

heavier minerals being carried by a river deposit in places where the river slows down

Question 24

precent yield

Answer 24

amount of pure ore able to be extracted from rock
(mass of ore/mass of rock)*100%

Question 25

what is acid mine drainage

Answer 25

coal and metal mines can leech harmful chemicals into water sources (e.g. sulfuric acid, lead, arsenic, and cadmium)

Question 26

what is fracking / hydraulic fracturing

Answer 26

creating fractures in the ground by pumping liquids at high pressure. gas / oil is then pumped up through these fractures

Question 27

what are some nonrenewable energy sources

Answer 27

coal - formed from plant material, burned to produce energy petroleum (oil) - liquid from partially decomposed plant and animal material natural gas - gas from partially decomposed plant and animal material nuclear - uses reaction of radioactive uranium to create heat

Question 28

what are some renewable energy sources

Answer 28

solar - use light photons to move electrons (electrical energy) wind - use wind to create mechanical energy geothermal - use steam from hot or molten underground rock hydroelectric - use water to create mechanical energy biomass - burn biomass, organic materials like wood or alcohol