Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Science > Science Final > Flashcards

Science Final Flashcards

(63 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

How does the Sun’s energy get to Earth? Explain the three main waves that pass through the Earth’s atmosphere.

A

Electromagnetic radiation. Infrared, visible light, ultraviolet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Write the four layers of the Earth’s atmosphere (that the book describes) in order from the outermost to the innermost. What radiation is absorbed by each layer?

A

Thermosphere, Mesosphere, Stratosphere, Troposhere

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What layer of the stratosphere is responsible for protecting life from ultraviolet radiation?

A

Ozone Layer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the Greenhouse Effect? What happens if there is too much heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and surface? Which “greenhouse” gases that are now growing in abundance are responsible for trapping heat in the atmosphere?

A

Gases in the atmosphere (namely carbon dioxide and methane) trap heat near the earth’s surface.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Write and explain the three types of heat transfer. Provide an example of each.

A

Conduction: The transfer of heat between two solider substances that are in direct contact.
Convection: The transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid
Radiation: The transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Explain how a convection current works

A

Warm temperatures cause air to rise, but as air rise it cools and descends until it is warmed again, repeating the cycle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Explain what wind is and how it is created

A

The movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How are high pressure areas and low pressure areas formed? What temperature is associated with each area?

A

They are formed by changing temperatures. High pressure is associated with cold temperatures, and low pressure is associated with high temperatures.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is the Coriolis Effect? How does it affect wind in the Northern Hemisphere? How about the southern hemisphere?

A

As the Earth rotates, wind turns in a clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and a counterclockwise direction in the southern hemisphere

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is meant by “Global Wind Patterns?” What are the three major wind belts and the two calm areas?

A

Winds blow in the same direction (or don’t blow at all) depending on the latitude. THe three major winds belts are the Trade Winds (Tropical Easterlies), Prevailing Westerlies, and Polar Easterlies, and the two calm areas are the Doldrums and the Horse Latitudes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is an ocean current?

A

A stream of water moving through the ocean

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are the two types of ocean currents?

A

Surface currents and deep ocean currents

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Why don’t ocean currents move across the Earth in the same way that global winds do?

A

Continents stand in the way

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is the difference between weather and climate?

A

Weather is a temporary atmospheric condition while climate is consistent for a great portion of a year

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What factors contribute to an area’s climate?

A

Latitude, altitude, proximity to large bodies of water, ocean currents, and prevailing winds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How does latitude affect climate?

A

Temperatures and wind/ocean current patterns vary depending on how far away from the climate is from the equator

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the three temperature zones and what are their temperatures like?

A

Tropical: receives consistent sun rays all year round, warm and humid
Temperature: sun rays hit the Northern and southern hemispheres differently depending on the time of year, one hemisphere will be warm and the other will be cool
Polar: sun rays hit less directly year round, cool summers and cold winters

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

How does altitude affect climate?

A

The higher the elevation, the colder it is

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are the six major climate regions? What are the general characteristics of each?

A

Tropical, Dry (Subtropical), Marine Temperate, Continental Temperate, Polar, Highland

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is a star?

A

A giant ball of superheated plasma composed largely hydrogen and helium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is a planet

A

A planet is an object that revolves around a star, has enough gravity to become spherical, and has cleared its area of orbit

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is a moon

A

A moon is an object that revolves around a planet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

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

A

Meteoroid refers to a small rock in space; a meteor is the streak of light created when a meteoroid burns up in the atmosphere: it is called a meteorite if/when it hits the Earth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is a comet and why does it have a tail?

A

A cold mixture of dust and ice that forms a tail of gases as it is near the sun

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What is a constellation? How many are there? And where do their names come from?
A pattern or group of stars that people imagine represents a figure, animal, or object, often named after the Greco-Roman culture. There are 88 of them
26
Explain the difference between actual motion and apparent motion? What are the reasons for why objects appear to move in the night sky?
How objects in the sky appear to move from the perspective of Earth is different from how objects actually move. This is due to the rotation of Earth
27
Explain the difference, in brief, between the geocentric model of the solar system and the heliocentric model of the solar system. Include what the Greek words "ge/gaia" and "helios" mean.
Geocentric = Earth is at the center and the sun goes around the Earth Heliocentric = the Sun is at the center and the Earth goes around the Sun.
28
Explain the difference between rotation and revolution and how long it takes the Earth to do either.
Rotation - an object spinning on its axis Revolution - an object going around another object
29
Define "axis."
The imaginary line that runs through the center of an object around which it rotates
30
Define "orbit."
The path an object takes as it revolves around another object
31
Define "ellipse."
An oval shape that characterizes many objects’ orbit
32
What degree is the Earth tilted and how does Earth's tilt affect seasons?
23.5 degrees. A hemisphere will experience summer when its pole is pointed toward the Sun
33
Define "solstice."
The points in the Earth's revolution where either the north pole or south pole is tilted toward the Sun, resulting in the longest day of the year or the shortest day of the year, depending on the hemisphere.
34
Define "equinox."
The points in the Earth's revolution where the tilt of the Earth is parallel to the Sun, resulting in days and nights that are each 12 hours in length.
35
How many solstices and equinoxes are there? In which months do they occur?
Two of each. The solstices happen in June and December. The equinoxes happen in March and September
36
What is Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation?
Everything that has mass is drawn to everything else that has mass
37
What two things does the strength of gravity depend upon?
The mass of the objects involved and the distance between them
38
What two forces keep the Earth in orbit around the Sun?
Gravity and inertia
39
What causes the phases of the moon?
The revolution of the Moon around the Earth and the extent to which we see the lit portion of the Sun from our position on Earth.
40
What are the names of the eight main moon phases?
New moon, waxing crescent, 1st quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, 3rd quarter, waning crescent
41
What do the words "waxing" and "waning" mean?
Waxing: adding; waning: fading
42
What is the position of the Sun, Earth, and Moon during a full moon? What about a new moon?
Full moon: the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon New moon: The Moon is between the Earth and the Sun
43
Describe what an eclipse is and explain the difference between a solar and lunar eclipse.
An eclipse occurs when the Sun is blocked, either by the Moon during a solar eclipse or by the Earth during a lunar eclipse
44
Explain the relationship between the moon and tides.
The moons gravitational pull creates a bulge in the ocean water, resulting in "high tide"
45
What is an astronomical unit?
The distance between the Sun and the Earth
46
What are the eight planets in order from closest to the sun to farthest
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
47
What are the differences between the four inner planets and the four outer planets?
Inner: small, closer to the Sun, and made primarily of rock and metal. Outer: larger, farther from the Sun, and made primarily of gases.
48
What are the five dwarf planets?
Pluto, Ceres, Makemake, Haumea, and Eris
49
Which planets have no moons? Which planet has the most moons?
Mercury and Venus have no moons; As of March 2025, Saturn has the most moons
50
What are asteroids? What is the difference between asteroids and meteoroids?
Small, mostly rocky bodies, many of which are found in a belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Asteroids are bigger than meteoroids
51
What are the three zone's of the Sun's interior? What are the key features of each?
The core contains gravitational forces place so much pressure on the materials and create so much heat that nuclear fusion occurs The radiative zone has most of the heat in the form of electromagnetic radiation (gamma rays) The convection zone is where plasma cycles through hotter and cooler temperatures?
52
What are the three layers of the Sun's atmosphere? How might one describe each of them?
The photosphere is dense enough to be visible and directly observed The chromosphere has a reddish hue that can only really be seen during solar eclipses The corona is like a white halo around the Sun
53
What are sunspots, prominences, and solar flares?
Sunspots are dark areas on the Sun's surface. Prominences are huge loops of polarized plasma that link different parts of sunspot regions. When the prominences connect, they form a solar flare which releases huge amounts of magnetic energy
54
What is nuclear fusion?
The process by which atoms combine to form heavier atoms. It creates the fuel for stars
55
Which two elements make up the majority of the Sun and other stars?
Hydrogen and Helium
56
Explain the life cycle of a small/medium mass star, including all the important stages, beginning with a nebula
Protostar, Small/Medium Mass Star, Red Giant, Planetary Nebula, White Dwarf, Black Dwarf
57
Explain the life cycle of a large mass star, including all the important stages, beginning with a nebula
Protostar, large mass star, supergiant, supernova, either neutron star or black hole
58
What is a black hole?
An object with a gravity so strong that nothing, not even light can escape it
59
What characteristics do scientists use to classify stars?
color, temperature, size, composition, and brightness
60
How does a star's color demonstrate its temperature?
If the star is blue; it is at its hottest if it is yellow, it has a relative mid temperature; if it is red, it has a cooler temperature
61
What is a lightyear?
The distance that light travels in one year, equal to 9.46 trillion km
62
What is the difference between apparent brightness and absolute brightness?
Apparent brightness: brightness of a star as seen from Earth Absolute brightness: brightness a star would have if it were at a standard distance from Earth
63
How does the Hertzsprung-Russel (H-R) Diagram work? What classification do most stars fall under?
Stars are categorized according to their absolute brightness and temperature. 90% of stars are Main Sequence stars

Science (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions