midterm Flashcards

1
Q

what is a hypothesis

A

an educated guess

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2
Q

what is a dependent variable

A

Factor being measured in an experiment

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3
Q

what is an independent variable

A

Factor that changes in an experiment

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4
Q

what is an experimental control

A

A standard to which results can be compared

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5
Q

what is the difference between a scientific theory and a scientific law

A

Scientific law describes what will happen, but does not explain why. Scientific theory is an explanation or model backed by results obtained from many tests or experiments

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6
Q

what are ethics

A

deals with moral values about what is good or bad

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7
Q

what are constants

A

variables that are identical between the control and the experimental group

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8
Q

what is a barometer? An anemometer?

A

A barometer is an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure. An anemometer is an instrument that measures windspeed

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9
Q

what is science

A

The process of looking at and studying things in the world in order to gain knowledge

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10
Q

what is a thermometer? a hygrometer?

A

A thermometer is an instrument that measures temperature. A hygrometer is an instrument that measures percentage of water vapor in the air

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11
Q

what should conclusions to a scientific experiment be based on

A

precise measurements and tests

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12
Q

which variable does a researcher intentionally change in a scientific experiment

A

The independent variable

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13
Q

what is radiation

A

Energy transferred by waves or rays

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14
Q

what is convection

A

transfer of heat by the flow of material

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15
Q

where is atmospheric pressure the greatest

A

earths surface

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16
Q

what happens to atmospheric pressure as altitude increases

A

greatest near Earth surface and decreases as you move upward away from sea level

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17
Q

what happens to the number of molecules in the air as the altitude increases

A

there are fewer molecules of air at high elevations, so air pressure is less

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18
Q

what is the source of all energy in the atmosphere

A

The sun

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19
Q

what is conduction

A

transfer of energy that occurs when molecules bump into each other

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20
Q

what layer of the atmosphere is closest to the earth

A

The troposphere

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21
Q

which layer of the atmosphere blends into outer space

A

The exosphere

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22
Q

which winds are responsible for the movement of much of the weather across the US and Canada

A

prevailing westerlies

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23
Q

what causes a seabreeze? A land breeze?

A

The land heats and cools more quickly than water

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24
Q

how are weather and climate different

A

weather is the state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place. Climate is the state of the atmosphere over a long period of time

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25
Q

what prevents some solar radiation from reaching the earth

A

reflection and absorption from the atmosphere

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26
Q

which layer of the atmosphere contains the highest concentration of ozone

A

The stratosphere

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27
Q

what causes the Coriolis effect

A

The earths rotation

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28
Q

how does the ozone layer protects the earth

A

keeps us from being exposed to high concentrations of ultraviolet radiation

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29
Q

what is an air mass and what can they cause

A

A large body of air with properties like the part of earths surface over which it formed

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30
Q

what is relative humidity

A

The amount of water vapor in the air compared to what the air can hold at a specific temperature

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31
Q

how does precipitation form

A

water droplets in a cloud combine, become too heavy, and fall to the ground as rain, snow, sleet, or hail

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32
Q

what is a front

A

boundary between the cold and warm air masses, or air masses of different temperature

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33
Q

how are dewpoint and saturation related

A

when air contains as much moisture as possible at a specific temperature and is saturated

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34
Q

what is dewpoint

A

The temperature at which air is saturated and condensation forms

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35
Q

what does it mean when something is saturated

A

when air contains as much moisture as possible

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36
Q

describe cirrus clouds

A

thin, wispy clouds made of ice crystals, can indicate storms

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37
Q

describe cumulus clouds

A

puffy, white clouds with flat bases that form when air currents rise

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38
Q

describe stratus clouds

A

smooth, even sheets or layers at low altitude. Produce light precipitation

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39
Q

what does a meteorologist do

A

Study weather

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40
Q

what is a dewpoint and why do we see evidence of it so early in the morning

A

Air near the ground cools too it’s dewpoint as the sun goes down and the temperatures drop

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41
Q

The interaction of what three things causes whether

A

Air, water, and the sun

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42
Q

what will you usually find in areas of low pressure

A

Bad weather, rain, storms, etc. cloudy weather

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43
Q

why do high-pressure areas usually have good weather

A

The Air masses sink, making it difficult for clouds to form

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44
Q

what are three major influences on climate

A

large bodies of water, ocean currents, large cities

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45
Q

what causes seasons

A

The tilt of earths axis, daylight, temperature, and weather patterns

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46
Q

where does El Nino begin

A

tropical Pacific ocean

47
Q

what three things are used to divide regions in a climate classification system

A

The types of plants found there, temperature, amount of precipitation

48
Q

what are structural and behavioral adaptations? Name several of each

A

structural adaptations are inherited, such as fur or scales. behavioral adaptations are something that they do such as hibernation or estivation

49
Q

how many times in the past have glaciers covered large parts of the earth

A

at times more than once in the past 2 million years glaciers covered large parts of Earth

50
Q

how often does the shape of the earths orbit around the sun change

A

earths orbit is an ellipse, on a long gated, closed curve, so the distance between the sun and the earth sometimes changes

51
Q

what are the major gasses that cause the greenhouse effect

A

water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane

52
Q

how is earths atmosphere warmed by the greenhouse effect

A

earths atmosphere is warmed by the greenhouse effect because the heat radiating from earth surface is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere

53
Q

where do the rays of the sun strike the Earth the most directly

A

The equator

54
Q

what is the difference between hibernation and estivation

A

hibernation is when animals sleep through the winter. estivation is when animals go into a mud hole and sleep

55
Q

what zone on the earth receives the most solar radiation

A

The tropics

56
Q

what happens to wave height as a wave approaches shallow water

A

it increases

57
Q

what effect does the alignment of the sun earth and the moon have on title range

A

when the sun, earth, and moon are in a straight line, the tidal range is the highest. The spring tides have the lowest low tides in the highest high tides

58
Q

when is the tidal range the smallest? when is the tidal range the largest?

A

The smallest is neap tides and the largest is spring tides

59
Q

what are spring tides’s? Neap tides? What causes each?

A

Spring tides occur when the sun, earth, and moon are lined up in a straight line. Neap tides occur when the sun, earth, and moon form a right angle

60
Q

what causes surface currents

A

Wind that moves the upper a few hundred meters of ocean water in huge, circular patterns

61
Q

what causes water to move when wind blows across it

A

when the wind blows across a body of water it creates friction

62
Q

what is wavelength

A

The horizontal distance between the crest or between the troughs of two adjacent waves

63
Q

what is a wave trough

A

The lowest point of a wave

64
Q

what is a wave crest

A

The highest point of a wave

65
Q

what is wave amplitude

A

Half the distance of the wave height

66
Q

how did the oceans form

A

basins filled with water from the atmosphere

67
Q

what is a basin

A

lowest point on earth at which oceans were formed

68
Q

what feature of a wave moves forward

A

Energy

69
Q

how does the salinity of the oceans remain balanced

A

substances are constantly being added, and substances are constantly being used by plants and animals

70
Q

where does the north Atlantic Deepwater form

A

Cold, dense water forms around Norway, Greenland, and Labrador, these waters sink forming the North Atlantic Deepwater

71
Q

how does wave amplitude correspond to the amount of energy the wave carries

A

The higher the amplitude, the more energy

72
Q

what is a tide and how are they formed

A

The rise and fall in sea level, the gravitational pull of the sun and moon

73
Q

what is a tidal range and how is it calculated

A

difference between the level of the ocean at high tide and low tide from subtracting the high tide and Low tide

74
Q

what is a density current and how are they formed

A

when a mass of seawater becomes more dense than the surrounding water, gravity causes the denser water to sink

75
Q

how do the water particles in a wave move

A

in a circle

76
Q

where, and how fast, is new ocean floor being formed

A

2.5 cm a year by the mid ocean ridge

77
Q

what is chemosynthesis and where does it take place

A

using sulfur or nitrogen compounds as an energy source to produce food, instead of using light from the sun. It takes place near hydrothermal vents in the mid ocean ridges

78
Q

how are trenches formed

A

when a crustal plate is forced under another

79
Q

explain the difference between plankton, Benthos, and nekton

A

plankton are marine organisms that drift with the currents.nekton are animals that actively swim. benthos are plants or animals living on or in the ocean floor

80
Q

List several examples of plankton, benthos, and nekton

A

plankton are diatoms and jellyfish. Nekton our fish, Whales, sharks, and manatees. Benthos are crabs, snails, see urchins

81
Q

what is the largest source of oil pollution in the ocean

A

runoff from land

82
Q

what ocean feature lies next to the continental shelf

A

Continental slope

83
Q

what is an ocean rift? What do we usually see there

A

A crack in the seafloor, lava erupts through rifts

84
Q

what are placer deposits and where would you find them

A

deposits found at the mouth of rivers in coastal regions

85
Q

how do plants make energy? what are the raw materials and the products

A

photosynthesis, carbon dioxide, nutrients; water and sunlight, produce oxygen and sugar

86
Q

what are the two major ways that oxygen enters ocean water

A

plants and the atmosphere

87
Q

describe an abyssal plain and how it is formed

A

flat seafloor areas from 4000 m to 6000 m below ocean surface that are formed when valleys are filled with sediment

88
Q

describe a continental shelf and what kinds of organisms you would find there

A

gradually sloping end of a continent that begins at the shoreline and extends out under the ocean. The continental shows contain mineral resources along with other lifeforms

89
Q

describe a continental slope

A

extends from the outer edge of the continental shelf down to the ocean floor

90
Q

what is used to divide geologic time into units

A

geologic time is divided into units based upon the appearance and disappearance of types of organisms

91
Q

what is the term for the longest subdivision of geologic time

A

eons

92
Q

what is the term for the shortest subdivision of geologic time

A

epochs

93
Q

describe how changes in the environment can result in physical changes in a species

A

environmental changes can affect an organism survival. those that can adapt to changing conditions through organic evolution survive. those that are not adapted to changing environments are less likely to reproduce and do not survive

94
Q

what things factored into the development of complex organisms from single celled organisms

A

stromatolites are layered mats of cyanobacteria. about 3.5 million years ago cyanobacteria began producing oxygen through photosynthesis. Some of the oxygen was converted to ozone and formed a protective layer around earth. This protective layer shielded the earth from UV radiation and allowed more complex organisms

95
Q

when did Homo sapiens first appear

A

140,000 years ago during the cenozoic era

96
Q

what trilobite characteristic did not change over time

A

three lobes

97
Q

how does plate tectonics affect organic evolution

A

as continents move, the seas became shallow or or deeper, mountains formed and continents drifted to new environments. Organisms had to adapt to these conditions

98
Q

what change in amphibian ancestors allowed reptiles to evolve

A

they developed an egg with a membrane or a hardshell that kept the eggs from drying out if they were not in water

99
Q

what does a species need to do to adapt to it changing environment

A

evolve

100
Q

what will happen if a species does not evolve during a changing environment

A

it will die or become extinct

101
Q

during which era do scientists think dinosaurs evolved from reptiles

A

Mesozoic era

102
Q

during which era did humans first appear

A

cenozoic era

103
Q

during which era did dinosaurs rule

A

Mesozoic era

104
Q

what era are we currently in and how long ago did it begin

A

cenozoic era, 65 million years ago

105
Q

what is natural selection

A

natural selection is a theory proposed by Charles Darwin that states that organisms with characteristics that are suited to a certain environment have a better chance of surviving and reproducing than those that don’t have that characteristic

106
Q

what types of things or conditions help to preserve things as a fossil

A

if the organisms buried quickly to protect it from scavengers and agents of physical destruction and if it has hard parts

107
Q

what is a gap in A rock layer, or sequence called what does it indicate

A

unconformities are formed when agents of erosion like running water or glaciers remove rock layers by washing or scraping them away

108
Q

what procedure can be used to determine the absolute age of an object

A

geologist determine the absolute age by using properties of the atoms that make up the materials of these processes, radiometric dating, used radioactive decay

109
Q

what is the difference between absolute and relative age

A

absolute age is age in years, relative age is comparison to the ages of other things

110
Q

what is the principle of super position and why is it important

A

The principle of super position states that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest rocks are on the bottom, and the rocks become progressively younger toward the surface. This principle is used to determine relative age

111
Q

what to do rock layers have in common if they are correlated

A

Rock layers are usually correlated by finding the same types and ages of fossils

112
Q

how can fossil types determine if layers of rock are from one continuous deposit

A

if they have similar layers and have the same types and ages of fossils they can be correlated

113
Q

what is relative dating

A

A comparison to the ages of other things and can be found by using the principle of super position

114
Q

what is absolute dating

A

absolute age is age in years and can be found by using radiometric dating