Final Exam Study Guide for Science

Question 1

Define rocket and probe

Answer 1

Rocket: Vehicle used to put something into space/out of Earth’s gravitational pull using thrust

Probe: Unmanned spacecraft, do not return to Earth - orbiter, lander, rover, or flybys

Question 2

Define electromagnetic spectrum

Answer 2

Range of radiant energy carried by electromagnetic waves

Question 3

Which wavelengths of electromagnetic energy have the highest energy? AND which have the lowest energy?

Answer 3

Gamma Rays have the highest amount of energy in them. Radio waves have the lowest amount of energy in them.

Question 4

Why do we not see stars as they actually are?

Answer 4

Because light, as fast as it travels, still takes time to reach our eyes. We are seeing the star as it was when that light left it.

Question 5

Why are space telescopes better than earth based telescopes?

Answer 5

They can capture all forms of electromagnetic radiation and the waves are not distorted by the moisture in the atmosphere.

Question 6

What are your three favorite space (past, current AND/OR future) missions? AND three facts from each.

Answer 6

DEEP SPACE OPTICAL COMMUNICATION
1. It will be going into deep space
2. It will be the first to demonstrate optical communication outside of the Earht-Moon system
3. It is a satelite

CADRE
1 It has 3 rovers
2 It is going to map the moon in 3D
3 It will show the places that are too dangerous for astronaughts

NEAR EARTH SPACE SYSTEM
1. It will better advance NASA’s defence efforts
2. It will launch in September 2027
3. It is a telescope/orbiter

Question 7

Briefly describe some different ways we have found exoplanets?

Answer 7

Direct visualization - bigger, better telescopes can see exoplanets

Gravitational wobble - planet’s gravity tugs at its star

Transit in front of its star - kind of like an eclipse, planet passes between Earth and its star, dimming it

Question 8

Define rotation AND revolution

Answer 8

Rotation: Spinning motion around an axis
Revolution: Movement of one object around another

Question 9

Define solstice AND equinox

Answer 9

Solstice: When the Earth’s axis is pointing towards the sun

Equinox: When the Earth’s axis is pointing towards our orbital pat

Question 10

What causes our seasons

Answer 10

The Earth is tilted on its axis meaning sunlight doesn’t hit equally hit all part of the Earth’s surface causing variation in temperatures that we call seasons

Question 11

If the moon rotated twice as fast as it does now, would we be able to see the far side of the moon? Briefly explain why or why not?

Answer 11

Yes, because rotation wouldn’t exactly match revolution

Question 12

What is the configuration of the Sun, Earth and Moon during a solar eclipse? AND during a lunar eclipse?

Answer 12

Solar = sun, moon, earth;
Lunar = sun, earth, moon

Question 13

What is the configuration of the Sun, Earth and moon during a spring tide? AND during a neap tide?

Answer 13

A spring tide is when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are all in a straight line. A neap tide is when the Sun, Earth, and Moon form a right angle.

Question 14

Define astronomical unit AND planet.

Answer 14

AU - Average distance between the earth and the sun, about 150,000,000km. used to measure distances within the solar system.

Planet - orbits a star, nearly spherical, largest object in its orbit.

Question 15

What types of objects orbit the sun?

Answer 15

Planets, Dwarf Planets, Asteroids, and Comets all orbit the Sun.

Question 16

What are the common features of the inner AND outer planets?

Answer 16

Inner - rocky crust, liquid/solid iron core, Silicon Minoxide mantle, smaller

Outer - gas Hydrogen/Helium, rings, many moons, larger

Question 17

Name one unique feature of each of the EIGHT planets.

Answer 17

Mercury - smallest, closest to Sun

Venus - rotates upside down, day longer than year, hottest

Earth - life, oxygen, liquid water

Mars - iron oxide, biggest volcano and canyon, thinnest atmosphere

Jupiter - biggest, Great Red Spot, shortest day

Saturn - best rings (all outer have rings), most moons, least dense

Uranus - rolls around the Sun on its side (all planets have a tilt), coldest

Neptune - farthest, strongest winds

Question 18

Why is Pluto a dwarf planet?

Answer 18

Smaller than our moon

Elliptical orbit

It’s orbit is off the plane of the solar system

It has other objects like it nearby in the kuiper belt

Question 19

What is the difference between a meteor, a meteorite, and a meteoroid?

Answer 19

meteoroid - small rock moving through space
meteor - small rock that has entered our atmosphere
meteorite - a meteor that strikes the surface

Question 20

What 4 things can Earth’s atmosphere do for you?

Answer 20

it contains the gas we breathe - oxygen

it acts as a blanket - moderating our temperature, liquid water

it protects us from UV radiation - ozone layer

it burns up most objects - meteors don’t become meteorites

Question 21

Where did all the water and carbon dioxide from the early Earth atmosphere go? AND where did the oxygen come from?

Answer 21

Water condensed as the earth formed the oceans.
Carbon dioxide was absorbed into the oceans
Oxygen was produced through photosynthesis

Question 22

Explain the greenhouse effect. Your answer should use the following terms: sunlight, visible light, infrared, absorption, reflection, radiation, AND at least 2 of 3 greenhouse gases.

Answer 22

“Sunlight” enters the atmosphere. “Visible light” can be reflected back into space, or absorbed. “Absorbed” light heats the earth, which radiates “infrared” waves into the atmosphere. Gases in the atmosphere (“carbon dioxide, methane and water”) can “reflect” some of this “radiation” back to earth - the more of these gases, the hotter the earth can get.

Question 23

Define conduction, convection AND radiation

Answer 23

Conduction: transfer of thermal energy by contact/collision

Convection: transfer of thermal energy by movement of molecules

Radiation: transfer of thermal energy by EM waves

Question 24

What is the foundation of all weather?

Answer 24

warm air rises and cold air sinks

Question 25

What are the three fates of solar radiation that hit Earth? Be sure to include amounts/percents in your answer.

Answer 25

reflected back by clouds/water vapor/atmosphere - 30% absorbed by clouds/water vapor/atmosphere - 20% absorbed by land/oceans/surface - 50%

Question 26

What conditions are needed for hurricanes to form? AND What is a storm surge?

Answer 26

Conditions: warm water, light winds, pre-existing weather, thunderstorm, and low pressure. Storm surge: strong hurricane winds pushing water onshore (mangroves help protect from erosion).

Question 27

What is the difference between climate and weather?

Answer 27

weather is what you get, short-term changes in current conditions climate is what you expect, long-term expectations for conditions

Question 28

Name six weather variables AND four air masses

Answer 28

Weather variables - temperature, wind - speed and direction, air pressure, precipitation, humidity, cloud cover Air masses - continental polar, continental tropical, maritime polar, maritime tropical

Question 29

What is dew point? AND why is it a good indicator of the "stickiness" of the day?

Answer 29

Dew point is the temperature at which air is saturated and condensation can occur. It is a good indicator because it shows how much moisture is in the atmosphere.

Question 30

What is the relationship between air pressure and temperature?

Answer 30

warm air rises - low pressure cold air sinks - high pressure

Question 31

What are the differences between a warm front and a cold front?

Answer 31

cold fronts - warm air rises quickly creating thunderstorms warm fronts - warm air rises slowly creating long, steady rain

Question 32

What are the global wind belts? How do they impact weather and climate?

Answer 32

the global pattern of wind that develop because of unequal heating of the earth's surface, creating convection cells. warmer in the tropics - low pressure, air rises, rains; cooler in the arctic - high pressure, air sinks, drier. difference in pressure creates wind. global winds redistribute heat, moderating our climate (tropics not boiling, poles not super freezing)

Question 33

What is the Coriolis effect?

Answer 33

the apparent movement or deflection of wind/water due to the earth's rotation - but they are actually moving in a straight path. Northern hemisphere - counter clockwise/right; Southern hemisphere - clockwise/left.

Question 34

What are the three stages of a thunderstorm? AND How do tornadoes form?

Answer 34

Thunderstorm cumulus/developing -- clouds are developing, warm air rising mature - torrential rain, warm air rising and cold air sinking dissipating - steady rain, cold air sinking Tornado air traveling at two different speeds can create rotation updrafts can organize this into a funnel if it reaches the ground it is a tornado

Question 35

How is climate affected by altitude, latitude AND large bodies of water?

Answer 35

Altitude: The higher up you go the colder it gets, making things in higher altitudes cooler and the climate there colder Latitude: Locations closer to the equator are warmer while locations near the poles are colder, making the climate different at different locations Water: Water's temperature doesn't change as fast as our temperature meaning it could always be the opposite temperature than our temperature outside.

Question 36

What is specific heat? AND What is so special about the specific heat of water? AND How does the specific heat of water impact our climate?

Answer 36

Specific heat is the amount of energy it takes to increase the temperature of 1 kg or a material by 1 degree celcuis. Water has a high specific heat and takes a lot of temperature to change the temperature of it. It can impact our climate because if water's temperature doesn't change as fast as our temperature meaning it could always be the opposite temperature than our temperature outside.

Question 37

Briefly describe the main characteristics (average precipitation and temperature/seasons) of each of the five climate types.

Answer 37

polar - dry and cold continental - seasons, moderate rain dry - extreme temps, low rainfall tropical - warm year round, high rainfall mild/temperate - mild seasons, high rainfall

Question 38

How has Earth's climate changed over time? AND How do scientists know this?

Answer 38

We have been covered with massive glaciers, or there were none. Differences in temperatures match the differences in carbon dioxide. Recently, Carbon Dioxide levels and temperatures are rising faster. Scientists study the carbon dioxide concentrations in air bubbles trapped in glaciers found in ice cores, also ocean sediments and tree rings

Question 39

What are the three Milankovitch cycles? AND how do they impact our climate?

Answer 39

orbital: circular = colder, elliptical = warmer tilt: straighter = colder, tilty = warmer Axis: Polaris = colder, Vega = warmer

Question 40

What is the southern oscillation? AND what are monsoons?

Answer 40

Southern oscillation differences in the strength of the trade winds across the pacific - impact global weather. strong winds, cold water upwelling, La Niña weak winds, cold water trapped, El Niño Monsoons Change in winds with seasons Winter, cold/high pressure on land, wind blows from land to ocean = dry Summer, hot/low pressure on land, wind from ocean to land = massive rain

Question 41

Define parallax AND nuclear fusion.

Answer 41

Parallax - the apparent change in location of an object when viewed from two different locations. used to measure distances to stars Nuclear fusion - two atoms becoming one - combine together. happens inside stars example: two hydrogens become one helium

Question 42

Define a light year AND main sequence star

Answer 42

Light year - Distance light travels in one year - 9,461,000,000,000 km Main sequence star - a main sequence star is one that is fusing hydrogen to helium. larger stars spend less time in this phase than smaller stars

Question 43

What is the difference between apparent AND absolute magnitude

Answer 43

apparent magnitude is how bright an object looks like on earth - distance impacts this; a closer dimmer star might look brighter than a brighter star farther away. absolute magnitude, or luminosity, is the true brightness of a star based on temperature and size

Question 44

Name and briefly describe three different types of "weather" that happen in the sun's atmosphere.

Answer 44

sunspots are magnetic storms, cooler prominences are loops of gas into the corona flares are jets of gas coronal mass ejections are bubbles of gas ejected by the sun's corona into space solar wind - constant stream of charged particles emanating from the sun

Question 45

How are temperature, size and color related in stars?

Answer 45

In general - the hotter a star, the whiter/bluer the star, the larger the star; the cooler a star, the redder and smaller the star is. Exceptions are off the main sequence (white dwarfs - are hot but small; red giants - are cool but large)

Question 46

Briefly describe the steps, from nebula to nebula, in the life-cycle of a low to medium mass star? (NEED TO KNOW)

Answer 46

1. Nebula 2. protostar 3. nuclear fusion of hydrogen to helium 4. star 5. fusion stops 6. expansion/collapse 7. red giant 8. fusion switches to helium to carbon 9. helium runs out 10. expansion/collapse 11. White dwarf and planetary nebula

Question 47

Briefly describe the steps, from nebula to nebula, in the life-cycle of a high mass star? (NEED TO KNOW)

Answer 47

1. Nebula 2. protostar 3. nuclear fusion of hydrogen to helium 4. star 5. Hydrogen runs out 6. Expansion/collapse 7. fusion switches to helium to carbon 8. many rounds of switching fuel 9. with each switch the star becomes a larger supergiant (expansion/collapse) 10. Fusion produces iron 11. supernova, forms nebula 12. black hole (super-massive, so not neutron star)

Question 48

Name and briefly describe one piece of evidence for the big bang theory?

Answer 48

Red shift - the doppler effect - things moving toward us are bluer; away are redder. As we look at objects in space, they are redder/longer wavelength than they should be. Evidence of expansion, from a single point/location Cosmic Background Radiation - left over radiation from the formation of the universe Types of elements - only hydrogen and helium existed in the beginning. All that fusion inside stars made bigger and bigger elements we see today.

Question 49

How are we misusing our land?

Answer 49

deforestation - erosion and doubly bad if we are burning the forest agriculture - monoculture and excessive fertilizer/pesticides mining - pollution and destruction of habitats landfills - potential leaking of toxic chemicals urbanization - paving over habitats

Question 50

What are we doing right with our land?

Answer 50

protected areas recreating natural environments Building animal crossings

Question 51

How are we misuing our freshwater?

Answer 51

overuse - using more than our fair share (with all other life) pollution - chemicals that enter the food web eutrophication (special case of pollution resulting in low Oxygen and fish kills) modifying waterways - changes paths of rivers, blocks animal migrations; filling in wetlands

Question 52

What are we doing right with our freshwater?

Answer 52

water conservation efforts Reducing pollution sources/runoff Removing dams and/or creating fish ladders; restoring wetlands

Question 53

How are we misusing our oceans?

Answer 53

pollution - plastics, chemicals overfishing - not enough adults left to replace population acidification - weakens shells and corals

Question 54

What are we doing right with our oceans?

Answer 54

conservation areas aquaculture - natural populations aren’t overfished cleaning up pollution - removing the plastics

Question 55

What is the greenhouse effect? What is global warming?

Answer 55

GHE - the natural process where greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4 and H2O) trap infrared radiation making the planet warmer Global warming - human activities that add more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, making it warmer and affecting climate patterns.

Question 56

What is the positive feedback loop our climate is experiencing with respect to sea ice and albedo?

Answer 56

As we get warm, the ice melts, less reflection/more absorption = warmer repeat!!!

Question 57

How are we abusing our climate?

Answer 57

fossil fuel burning - increased CO2 to atmosphere deforestation - can’t remove as much CO2 (and if we are burning the forests, we are adding even more CO2)

Question 58

What are we doing right with our climate?

Answer 58

working together - international panels and agreements renewable energy sources - use less CO2 in the long run reduce/reuse/recycle - less waste and pollution