Question | Answer |
law | a rule that describes the behavior of something in nature |
technology | the process of using scientific discoveries for practical purposes |
Italians | one of the first cultures to develop instruments to study the weather |
not enough data | can cause an experiment to be inaccurate |
plasma | the most common state of matter in the universe |
element | is a substance that contains only one type of atom |
atoms | the smallest particle htat makes up matter |
atomic number | is the number of protons of an atom |
valence | electrons that are shared |
nucleus | contains both protons and neutrons |
hydrogen bonds | have polar molecules |
cleavage | mineral property that explains why some minerals break along smooth, flat surfaces |
vein minerals | forms along faults |
oxygen | the most abundant element in the crust |
Friedrich Mohs | the mineral hardness chart is named for |
arrangement of its atoms | determines wether a mineral has cleavage or fracture |
streak | measures the color of a mineral's powder |
oxygen and silicon | the two most common elements in minerals |
compaction | process in which layer upon layer of sediment build up, exerting pressure on the lower layer of sediment |
gneiss | foliated rock, banding |
igneous rocks | are classified by how they are formed |
intermediate rocks | have mineral compositions between felsic and mafic rocks |
felsic rocks | light colored rocks, igneous rocks, rocks that have a high concentration of silica |
rock | is a mixture |
non-foliated rocks | are metamorphic but do not exhibit layering |
rock removal | rock may be carried away by the wind or water, but it is never lost |
sedimentary rocks | form when sediment is pressed together, form from exisiting rocks, often form in layers |
cementation | when minerals act like glue to hold sediments together |
extrusive rocks | have small mineral grains and are formed on top of Earth's surface |
metamorphic rock | foliated texture that has mineral grains that have lined up in parallel lines |
igneous rocks | are the most commonly found rocks on Earth and are formed from cooled magma |
mafic rocks | contain large amounts of iron and magnesium |
lines of latitude | measure distance north and south of the equator |
lines of longitude | measure distance east and west of the prime meridian |
folded mountain | Mountains that form rock layers that fold up due to pressure in the crust are called folded mountains |
conic projections | used to make maps of smaller areas |
geologic maps | depict cross sections of rock |
mercator projections | drawn with lines of longitude parallel to each other |
contour lines | connect points of equal elevation |
tilting and faulting | produce majestic peaks and steep slopes |
upwarped | have sharp peaks and ridges, just like the Adirondacks of New York |
fault-block | produced by the tilting of one block and the downward movement of the other |
chemical weathering | occurs more rapidly in warm, wet climates |
mechanical weathering | occurs more in cold climates |
horizon | each layer of a soil profile |
humus | decayed organic material turns into a dark-colored material |
carbonic acid | when water mixes with carbon dioxide in the air |
U-shaped | type of valleys are made by valley glaciers |
loess | sediment has the smallest grain |
mass movement | involves any large amount of material moved by erosional forces; slumps, creeps, rockfalls, rock slides, and mudflows |
decomposers | are organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms |
producers | living things which take the non living matter from the environment, such as minerals and gases and uses them to support life |
mitochondrion | normal structures responsible for energy production in cells "powerhouse of the cell" |
lyosome | particle in the cytoplasm of cells containing a number of digestive enzymes capable of breaking down most of the constituents of living matter |
vacuole | fluid-filled cavity within the cytoplasm of a cell, surrounded by a membrane that usually encloses food, water, or air |
carbohydrates | biological compound containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that is an important source of food and energy |
lipids | biological compound that is not soluble in water; a fat. |
DNA | a nucleic acid molecule in the form of a twisted double strand double helix that is the major component of chromosomes and carries genetic information |
pollination | transfer of pollen from the male reproductive organ (stamen or staminate cone) to the female reproductive organ (pistil or pistillate cone) of the same or of another flower or cone |
photosynthesis | a process by which green plants and other organisms turn carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and oxygen, using light energy trapped by chlorophyll |
phototropism | the tendency of an organism to grow toward or away from a source of light |
germination | the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth |
precipitation | condensed water vapor that falls to the Earth's surface |
transpiration | the release of water vapor from plants and soil into the air |
condensation | the transformation of water vapor to liquid water droplets in the air, creating clouds and fog |
evaporation | the transformation of water from liquid to gas phases as it moves from the ground or bodies of water into the overlying atmosphere |
runoff | the variety of ways by which water moves across the land |
inflitration | the flow of water from the ground surface into the ground |
advection | the movement of water — in solid, liquid, or vapor states — through the atmosphere |
mantle | a highly viscous layer between the crust and the outer core |
crust | composed of a great variety of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks |
inner core | is a primarily solid ball and consists of an iron–nickel alloy, and may have a temperature similar to the Sun's surface |
outer core | a liquid layer about 2,266 kilometers thick composed of iron and nickel |
Exosphere | is the last layer before outer space and contains the lightest gases, mainly hydrogen, with some helium, carbon dioxide, and atomic oxygen near the exobase |
Thermosphere | is the biggest of all the layers within this layer, ultraviolet radiation causes ionization where Auroras also occur |
Mesosphere | the coldest naturally occurring place on Earth, referred to as the "middle atmosphere," contains strong winds and the most poorly understood part of the atmosphere |
Stratosphere | it is stratified in temperature, with warmer layers higher up and cooler layers farther down and includes the ozone layer, which absorbs and scatters solar ultraviolet radiation |
Troposphere | day-to-day weather occurs |
Mercury | the planet closest to the sun, bright when viewed from Earth, similar in appearance to the Moon |
Venus | it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, with an opaque layer of highly reflective clouds of sulfuric acid, second planet from the Sun |
Mars | often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance, has two moons, fourth planet from the Sun |
Jupiter | the largest planet within the Solar System, has at least 64 moons, the fifth planet from the Sun |
Saturn | has a ring system consisting mostly of ice particles with a smaller amount of rocky debris and dust, sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet, has Sixty-two known moons |
Uranus | it is the coldest planetary atmosphere in the Solar System, its axis of rotation is tilted sideways, seventh planet from the Sun, virtually featureless planet |
Neptune | primarily composed of ices and rock, visible weather patterns, eighth and farthest planet from the Sun |
terrestrial planets | composed primarily of silicate rocks and/or metals; includes Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars |
jovian planets | a gas giant, is a large planet that is not primarily composed of rock or other solid matter, includes Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune |
diffraction | the bending or spreading out of waves, e.g. of sound or light, as they pass around the edge of an obstacle or through a narrow aperture |
resonance | reinforcement and prolongation of a sound or musical tone by reflection or by sympathetic vibration of other bodies |
interference | is the phenomenon in which two waves superpose each other to form a resultant wave of greater or lower amplitude |
refraction | 1.the bending of a ray or wave of light, heat, or sound as it passes obliquely from one medium to another of different density, in which its speed is different, or through layers of different density in the same medium |
chemical reactions | is a process that leads to the transformation of one set of chemical substances to another |
radiant energy | comes from electromagnetic waves, including microwaves, X-rays and light |
electrons | are most directly involved in the formation of chemical bonds |