100 Key Concepts in Earth Science

General Science Questions

1. What do you call the process where scientists come up with a hypothesis, test it and collect data, revise the hypothesis, and draw conclusions? / The Scientific Method
2. Any use of your senses (with or without equipment) to gather information is a(n): / Observation
3. What do you call a possible explanation or answer to a question that is testable? / A Hypothesis
4. What do you call a single factor that is different and can affect the results of your experiment? / A Variable
5. What is the formula for density? / Mass divided by Volume
6. A substance will float in a liquid if : / Its density is less than the density of the liquid

Physical Science Questions

7. What colors absorb the most heat? Why? / Dark colors – because more energy is absorbed
8. What is the difference between a chemical change and a physical change? / A chemical change produces a new substance with different properties, a physical change does not
9. There are more than ______different elements with unique properties. / 100
10. What do we call the smallest unit of an element that maintains the characteristics of the element? / Atom
11. Name the 3 particles that make up an atom / Protons, neutrons, and electrons
12. Acceleration of an object depends on what two things? /

Mass
The amount of force applied

Life Science Questions

13. What are the main differences between plant and animal cells? / Animal cells do not have a cell wall or chloroplasts
14. Why do cells divide? / To allow for growth and repair within an organism.
15. What is a Genetic Trait? / A characteristic that is determined by one or more genes passed down from parent to offspring
16. What is Natural Selection? / The process where random changes occur within a population which may lead to increased survival of an organism in its environment
17. What is an ecosystem? / All of the populations living together (biotic) and the physical factors (abiotic) in the environment
18. How is energy transferred through a food web? / Sun  Producers (Green Plants) Consumers Decomposers

Geology Questions

19. What is Earth Science? / The Study of Geology, Astronomy, and Meteorology.
20. (RM) The idea that rocks continuously change from one kind
to another is called: / The Rock Cycle
21. (RM) Name three classifications of rocks. /

Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic

22. (RM) How are Igneous rocks formed? / From the cooling and hardening of magma.
23. (RM) How are sedimentary rocks formed? / From the deposition and cementing of sediments.
24. (RM) How are metamorphic rocks formed? / From changes in other rocks
25. (RM) The two main rocks of the Earth’s Crust are: / Granite and Basalt
26. (RM) What is the hardest mineral known? / Diamond
27. (Soil) The upper 8 – 12 inches of the ground is called the: / Topsoil
28. (Soil) What is weathering? / The process of breaking down rocks
29. (Soil) The process which moves soil from one place to another / Erosion
30. (Soil) The two main ingredients in soil are: / Weathered rocks and Organic matter
31. (Pt) Stress applied to rocks resulting in bending (not breaking) is referred to as: / Folding
32. (Pt) What does the Theory of Plate Tectonics tell scientists? / That the crust of the Earth is broken into pieces (called plates) that move.
33. (Pt) The 3 types of plate boundaries are: / Divergent, Convergent, and Transform Fault
34. (Pt) The last supercontinent was called: / Pangaea
35. (Pt) How do plates move along a Divergent Plate Boundary? / The plates move apart.
36. (Pt) How do plates move along a Convergent Plate Boundary? / The plates move together
37. (Pt) How do plates move along a Transform Fault Boundary? / The plates slide (grind) past each other.
38. (Pt) The only Plate Boundary in the United States is found : / Along the PacificCoast
39. (Pt) The shaking and trembling that results from sudden movement of part of Earth’s crust is called: / An Earthquake
40. (Pt) Three types of volcanoes are: / Shield, Cinder Cone, and Composite
41. (Pt) What do Contours show on a topographic map? / Points of similar elevation
42(Gt) The 4 primary eras which make up Earth’s Past are: /

Pre-Cambrian Time
Paleozoic Era
Mesozoic Era
Cenozoic Era

43. (Gt) Which Era accounts for about 90% of Earth’s Past? / Pre-Cambrian Time
44. (Gt) What does the Law of Superposition tell scientists? / It states that if rocks are formed in layers, the rock in the upper layer is younger than the rock in the layer below it.
45. (Gt) How can the exact age of a rock be measured? / By analyzing the amount of radioactive decay that has occurred in the rock.
46. (Gt) The Estimated Age of the Earth is: / 4.6 Billion Years Old
47. (Gt) What event pushed the Dinosaurs towards extinction
65 million years ago? / A large comet or asteroid striking Earth.

Astronomy Questions

48. (SEM) When the visible portion of the moon is increasing it is : / Waxing
49. (SEM) When the visible portion of the moon is decreasing it is : / Waning
50. (SEM) The moon phases from new moon to new moon are: / New moon
Waxing Crescent
First Quarter
Waxing Gibbous
Full Moon / Waning Gibbous
Last Quarter
Waning Crescent
New Moon
52. (SEM) How long does it take to travel through an entire moon cycle? / Slightly less than a month
52(SEM) What causes the rise and fall of the oceans? (Tides) / The gravitational pull of the moon on the Earth.
53. (SEM) The date when Earth is closest to the Sun (Perihelion) / Around January 1st
54. (SEM) The date when Earth is farthest from the Sun (Aphelion) / Around July 4th
55. (SEM) What causes the change in the seasons? / The tilt of the Earth as it orbits the Sun.
56. (SEM) What do we call the day in which all of earth has 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness? / The Equinox (Spring and Fall)
57. (SEM) When is the angle of the noontime Sun highest in the sky? / The first day of Summer (Summer Solstice)
58. (SEM) When is the angle of the noontime Sun the lowest in the sky? / The first day of Winter (Winter Solstice)
59. In which direction does the Sun rise on the equinox? / In the East
60. In which direction does the Sun set on the equinox? / In the West
61. (SEM) How long is a year, and what does the Earth do in that time? / About 365 days. It revolves around the Sun one time.
62. (SEM) What does the Earth do in one day? / It rotates on its axis one time.
63. (SS) What force keeps the planets in motion around the Sun? / Gravity
64. (SS) The first four planets are called the : / Terrestrial Planets
65. (SS) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are called the: / Gas Giants
66. (SS) Three characteristics of the Terrestrial planets are : /

They are rocky
They are small
They have few, if any, moons

67. (SS) Three characteristics of Gas Giants are : /

They are mainly Gas with small cores
They are very large
They have many moons
They have rings

68. (SS) What is a space rock that reaches Earth’s surface? / A Meteorite
69. (SS) What is made of bits of rock, ice, methane, and ammonia? / A Comet
70. (SS) Who first proposed the model of the Solar System that had the Sun at the center? (The Heliocentric Model) / Copernicus
71. (SU) What does a star’s color tell astronomers? / How hot it is.
72. (SU) What will be the final fate of our Sun?(when it runs out of all fuel) / It will become a dwarf
73. (SU) What is a black hole? / The final fate of a very large star in which gravity is so intense that not even light can escape it.
74. (SU) Star groups which form patterns are called: / Constellations
75. (SU) Which star sits due north in the night sky? / Polaris (The North Star)
76. (SU) What is a light year? / The distance light travels in a year.
77. (SU) Earth is part of which Galaxy? / The Milky Way

Meteorology Questions

78. (AC) Unequal heating of Earth and its atmosphere causes / Weather
79. (AC) Name 3 ways in which energy may be transferred /

Conduction
Convection
Radiation

80. (AC) What is created by differences in Air Pressure? / Wind
81. (AC) Why does warm air rise? / Because it is less dense than the surrounding air.
82. (AC) The three main cloud types commonly observed are /

Cirrus
Stratus
Cumulus

83. (AC) A puffy cloud which may grow vertically is a: / Cumulus Cloud
84. (AC) A layer cloud that covers the whole sky is a: / Stratus Cloud
85. (AC) A thin, wispy cloud which is made of ice crystals is a: / Cirrus Cloud
86. (PAF) In Weather, what does a front separate? / Different types of air
87. (PAF) What is weather usually like in HIGHPRESSURE areas? / Clear skies, cooler, less humid
88. (PAF) What is weather usually like in LOWPRESSURE areas? / Cloudy, warmer, more humid, and sometimes rainy/snowy
89.(PAF) What type of front brings about rapid changes in the weather and possible large storms? / A Cold Front
90. (PAF) What type of front brings a gradual change in the weather and possible long periods of precipitation? / A Warm Front
91. (WMF) What scale is used to measure the strength of a tornado? / The Fujita Scale
92. (WMF) The band of high speed winds in the atmosphere which steer storm systems is called the: / Jet Stream
93. (WMF) How can you tell how far away lighting struck? / Every 5 seconds that pass before you hear thunder equals 1 mile away
94. (WMF) The long-term averages in temperature and precipitation determine an areas: / Climate
95. (WtE) What is an underground layer of rock that holds water? / An Aquifer

Local Questions

96. (Pt) The caves and sinkholes common in SE Minnesota is known as what type of topography? / Karst topography
97. (RM) What type of bedrock is common around Rochester? / Limestone and sandstone
98. (Pt) Why does SE Minnesota have many caves, sinkholes, bluffs, and deep river valleys compared to the rest of the state? / Because the last set of glaciers did not advance across this area
99. (Gt) What do the limestone and sandstone layers around Rochester tell geologists of this area’s past? / This area was once underwater for many thousands of years
100. (WtE) What natural disaster brought the Mayo brothers to Rochester in 1883? / A Tornado

Abbreviation Codes

RM = Rocks and Minerals / SU = Stars and Universe
Pt = Plate Tectonics / AC = Atmosphere and Clouds
Gt = Geologic Time / PAF = Pressure / Air Masses / Fronts
Soil = Soils / WMF = Weather Maps and Forecasting
SEM = Sun / Earth / Moon / WtE = Water and the Environment
SS = Solar System