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Spheres/Layers
6.5B, 6.10A Earth's Spheres & Layers
Term | Definition |
---|---|
INNER CORE | Sphere of solid nickel & iron at the center of Earth; surrounded by liquid outer core. |
OUTER CORE | Outer layer of Earth’s core; surrounds inner core; made of liquid nickel & iron. |
MANTLE | Solid layer of Earth between the crust & core; made of dense silicates. |
CRUST | Thin, solid outermost layer of Earth; made of less dense silicates; either continental (landmasses) or oceanic (ocean floors). |
LITHOSPHERE | Cool, rigid, outermost layer of Earth that consists of the crust & uppermost part of the mantle; broken into pieces or segments called plates; litho = rock. |
ASTHENOSPHERE | Solid layer with plasticity in upper mantle located just below the lithosphere; lithospheric plates “float” & move on this layer; astheno = weak. |
PLASTICITY | Characteristic of the material in the asthenosphere; existing in solid state yet having the ability to flow without being a liquid. |
EARTH'S LAYERS | Divisions of the composition of Earth determined by either chemical composition or by physical state of matter. |
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION | Types, quantities, & arrangements of elements that make up a substance. |
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES | Measurable characteristics that describe physical state of something, including mass, magnetism, temperature, density, shape, volume, & conductivity. |
TEMPERATURE | Measure of the amount of heat energy. |
STATES OF MATTER | Distinct forms of matter known in everyday experience: solid, liquid, and gas; also referred to as phases of matter. |
PRESSURE | Force exerted on matter through contact with other matter; affects melting & boiling points. |
DENSITY | Amount of matter in a given space or volume; relationship between mass & volume; less dense matter will form layers above more dense matter. |
Element | Pure substance composed of the same type of atom throughout. |
Periodic Table of Elements | Table in which all the known elements are arranged by properties & are represented by 1 or 2 letters, referred to as chemical symbols. |
Hydrosphere | All of the water on Earth; hydro = water; sphere = globe |
Biosphere | Sum of all living matter, made of a limited number of elements including oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, & phosphorus; bio = life; sphere = globe |
Atmosphere | Layer of gas surrounding planet Earth, held in place by gravity; composed of a limited number of elements, primarily nitrogen & oxygen; atmo = air; sphere = globe |
Matter | Anything that has mass & takes up space. |
Properties | Physical & chemical characteristics of matter used to describe or identify a substance. |
Mixture | Combination of 2 or more substances which do not chemically combine. |
Uniform Composition | Made of the same evenly distributed substance or combination of substances throughout; uni = one |