GSC199
A body in motion tends to stay in motion... Newton's second Law of Motion describes the concept of momentum.
True
The gravitational force is proportional to mass and inversely proportional to distance.
True
What distinguishes a hypothesis from a theory?
a hypothesis is a guess, a theory has been tested and holds some truth
What percentage of the earth's surface is covered by the ocean?
about 70%
Hipparchus
best known for his extensive star catalogue
Which color of visible light has the shortest wavelength?
blue
One of Galileo's discoveries that is relevant to astronomy and/or earth science:
by creating a telescope, he discovered sun spots on the sun which have a slightly lower temperature than the rest of the sun
Johannes Kepler
explained the laws of planetary motion
The earth is farthest from the sun during the Murray winter season.
false
Isaac Newton
formulated the Law of Universal Gravitation
The earth's elliptical orbit around the sun results from a balance between:
gravity and momentum
Which two chemical elements make up most of the matter in stars?
helium and hydrogen
What type of radiation does the earth emit?
infra-red
The earth's interior is:
layered, hot, and rich in iron
Galileo Galilei
made good use of a telescope
Why did our understanding of the ocean floor make great advances following WWII?
new technology such as sonar was applied to the study of the oceans
The second most abundant gas in earth's atmosphere:
oxygen
What are the two most abundant chemical elements in the earth's crust?
oxygen and silicon
Which process is responsible for cooling the earth's atmosphere?
radiation
Which color of visible light has the longest wavelength?
red
The ratio of the air's water vapor content to its capacity at the same temperature and pressure is a measure of:
relative humidity
What is the main distinguishing factor between a planet and a star?
stars generate heat and light; planets do not
Ozone gas is most concentrated in which layer of the earth's atmosphere?
stratosphere
Eratosthenes
successfully established the size of the earth
James Hutton
the "father of modern geology" and the developer of uniformitarianism
Wave Refraction
the bending of a water wave
What are the boundaries of "the river of sand"?
the edge of the surf zone and the beach
Spectroscopy
the field of science that studies all types of radiation
Breaking Waves
the main source of energy that drives the longshore movement of sand
Which layer of the earth has the largest volume?
the mantle
Which property of stars can be determined from the study of Binary star systems?
the mass of the star
Bathymetry
the measurement of ocean depths and charting of the shape of the ocean floor
Which layer of the earth is thought to be liquid?
the outer core
Chemical Weathering
the process in which rocks and minerals of the earth dissolve in water
What can the color of a star tell an astronomer?
the star's temperature
Weather
the state of the atmosphere at any given time
geology
the study of the earth
Climate
the sum or average of all weather information that helps describe a place or region
The main cause of seasons is:
the tilt of the axis of rotation as the earth revolves around the sun
Solstice
the times of year when daylight is shortest or longest
Convection
the transfer of heat by movement of a substance
Conduction
the transfer of heat through matter by molecular activity
Radiation
the transmission of energy through space in waves
Which property of stars can be determined from an application of the Doppler Effect?
the velocity of the star
Why does atmospheric pressure decrease with altitude?
the weight or mass of the atmosphere decreases with altitude because gravity is pulling the atmosphere towards the earth's surface
Many meteorites are rich in iron.
true
Shorter wavelength radiation contains more energy than longer wavelength radiation.
true
The earth orbits the sun in an orbit that is shaped like an ellipse.
true
The troposphere is the atmospheric layer closest to the earth's surface.
true
Waves increase in height as they approach the shore.
true
You are in the Northern Hemisphere on the summer solstice: as you travel further north of the equator, you will experience a longer period of daylight.
true
What is the main process responsible for removing salt from ocean water?
uptake of minerals and salts by microscopic plants and animals
Copernicus
wrote a book in the 16th century entitled "Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres" in which he developed a model of a sun-centered universe
Ptolemy
wrote a book in the 2nd century entitled "Almagest" in which he developed a model of an earth-centered universe
The earth's environment can be thought of as consisting 4 major spheres. They are:
-atmosphere -biosphere -hydrosphere -geosphere
What are two properties that radiation waves and seismic waves have in common?
-both carry energy -both reflect and refract
What are the two most common elements of ocean salt?
-chlorine -sodium
What are two elements of Ptolemaic or Geocentric theory of the universe?
-the sun orbits the earth -the earth does not rotate
What are the 4 methods that are useful in studying the interior of the earth?
1. earth's density 2. earth's magnetic field 3. earthquakes 4. meteorites
List 3 terms in order that best explain how the earth's atmosphere is heated by the sun.
1. radiation 2. conduction 3. convection
How much salt is there in sea water?
3.5%
Because it has many shallow adjacent seas, the Pacific Ocean is the shallowest of the three major oceans.
False
Waves increase in speed as they approach the shore.
False
The first systematic study of the world oceans was carried out on which ship?
HMS Challenger