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Our Earth
Review Unit 5
43
Science
10th Grade
01/04/2008

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Cards

Term
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Definition

Weather is the condition of temperature, air pressure, humidity, cloud cover, precipitation, etc. It is very specific and talks about conditions in a particular place at a particular time. Whereas, climate is the average weather conditions that occur in a region over several years.

Term
What is the biosphere and what is it composed of?
Definition
The biosphere is a thin layer of Earth that has conditions suitable for supporting life. It is composed of all living things on Earth and the conditions that support them.
Term
What "spheres" does the Biosphere contain?
Definition
The biosphere contains the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the lithosphere.
Term
What is the atmosphere?
Definition
The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surrounds the Earth.
Term
What is the lithosphere?
Definition
The lithosphere is the solid portion of Earth composed of rocks, minerals, and elements.
Term
What is the hydrosphere?
Definition
The hydrosphere consists of all water on Earth, in all forms.
Term
How high does the atmosphere rise and what is it composed of?
Definition
The atmosphere rises 500km from the surface of the Earth and is composed of mainly nitrogen and oxygen but also other gases.
Term
What are the most abundant gases on our planet?
Definition
Nitrogen is the most abundant gas (78%) and Oxygen is the second most abundant gas (21%)
Term
How does Nitrogen help combustion?
Definition

Nitrogen doesn't support combustion, whereas Oxygen does, therefore it limits the amount of combustion on Earth.

Term
What is altitude?
Definition
Altitude is the distance above Earth's surface measured from sea level.
Term
What are the layers of Earth's atmosphere in order (starting from the surface of the Earth)
Definition
  1. Troposphere
  2. Stratosphere
  3. Mesosphere
  4. Thermosphere
Term
Name some properties about the Troposphere.
Definition
  • The troposphere is the layer of gases at 0 - 10km from the Earth's surface.
  • It's temperature at the surface is 15°C and goes down to -60ºC as it rises.
  • Contains 80% of the atmospheric gases by mass.
  • Only layer of Earth's atmosphere that can support organisms.
  • Contains most of the CO2 and water vapour in the atmosphere.
Term
Where is the ozone layer found?
Definition
In the Stratosphere
Term
Give some details about the Stratosphere.
Definition
  • The Stratosphere is the 2nd layer from the Earth's surface and goes from 10km-50km.
  • The temperature goes from -60ºC to 0ºC as it goes up.
  • It contains the ozone layer which absorbs the sun rays and causes it's temperature to go up.
Term
What is the purpose of the Ozone Layer?
Definition
The ozone layer protects living organisms from damaging high-energy radiation from the sun.
Term
Give some details on the mesosphere
Definition
The mesosphere is the 3rd layer from the Earth's surface. Its temperature decreases from 0ºC to       -100ºC
Term
Give some details on the Thermosphere
Definition
The thermosphere is the farthest layer from the Earth. Its temperature increases from -100ºC to 1500ºC
Term
Where does Earth receive all its Energy from?
Definition
The Sun--solar energy
Term
2 things the solar energy is converted to are...
Definition
Most of the solar energy is converted into thermal energy but some is converted to chemical (food) energy through photosynthesis
Term
What form does solar energy come in?
Definition
Solar energy comes to the Earth as radiant energy or electromagnetic waves.
Term

Define insolation

Definition
Insolation is the amount of solar energy received by a region of Earth's surface.
Term

4 things insolation depends on are...

Definition

Insolation depends on latitude, the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, and the lithosphere.

Term

Define Angle of Inclination

Definition

The angle of inclination is the degre by how much the Earth's poles are tilted from the plane of its orbit. Earth's angle of inclination is 23.5º

[image]

Term
How does the angle of inclination cause seasonal change at polar latitudes?
Definition
The angle of inclination causes one of the poles to be more tilted towards the sun than the other. This is when its summer for the first pole and winter for the second.
Term
What are the latitudes of the equator and the poles?
Definition
The equator is 0º, while the poles are 90º
Term

What is a solstice?

Definition
A solstice is when one of the two poles are most tilted towards or away from the sun, therefore they recieve either the most number of daylight hours or the least number of daylight hours during the year.
Term
What is an Equinox?
Definition
An equinox is when the number of daylight hours is equal to the number of night hours.
Term
Describe the angle of incidence
Definition
The angle of incidence is the angle between a ray falling on a surface of the earth and the line perpendicular to that surface. At the equator the angle is close to 0º, while at the poles the angle is close to 90º, however it can never be higher than 90º.
Term
What does the Angle of Incidence signify?
Definition
At larger angles of incidences, the same amount of sunlight is spread out over a greater surface area. Therefore, areas at more polar latitudes receive less solar energy per km2 than areas near the equator.
Term
What are 2 possible things that can happen to radiation as it comes to Earth? Define them
Definition
It can be reflected or absorbed by particles of matter. When particles reflect energy they change the ray's direction, but when they absorb energy; it is converted into another form of energy.
Term
What is albedo of a surface?
Definition
The albedo of a surface is the percent of solar energy that it reflects.
Term
What kind of surfaces have high albedo and what kinds have low albedo?
Definition
Light-colored, shiny surfaces such as snow have high albedo, whereas dark colored surfaces such as forest or soils have low albedo.
Term
What is the natural greenhouse effect?
Definition
The natural greenhouse effect is when gases in the atmosphere absorb thermal energy, without the atmosphere the thermal energy would escape into space making the Earth much cooler.
Term
What are greenhouse gases? Name some. What is the main contributor to the greenhouse effect?
Definition
Greenhouse gases are gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect, these include methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide. However though, water vapour is the main contributor to the greenhouse effect.
Term
What is the net radiation budget?
Definition

The net radiation budget is the difference between the amount of incoming solar radiation and outgoing solar radiation.

net rad. bud. = Incoming - Outgoing

Term
What is thermal energy transfer?
Definition
Thermal energy transfer is the movement of thermal energy from an area of high temperature to an area of low temperature.
Term
What is conduction?
Definition

Conduction is the transfer of thermal energy through direct contact between particles, without changing their location or moving them. Usually in solids

Term
What is convection?
Definition
Convection is the transfer of energy through the movement of particles from one location to another. Usually in fluids.
Term
What is a current?
Definition
During convection, the movement of particles forms a current or a flow from one place to another IN THE SAME DIRECTION.  
Term
What is atmospheric pressure? Which areas of the Earth exert less/more pressure?
Definition
Atmospheric pressure is the pressure exerted by the mass of air above any point on Earth's surface. Warmer regions exert less pressure because warm air is less dense than cool air.
Term
What is wind?
Definition
Wind is the movement of cool air from areas of high atmospheric pressure to areas of low pressure.
Term
What is the Coriolis Effect?
Definition
If the poles were lined up straight; wind would move north-south, but since the Earth rotates on a tilt the winds are deflected either right or left. The Coriolis effect is the deflection of any object from a straight line path by the rotation of the Earth.
Term
Name 4 of Canada's Biomes
Definition
  1. Tundra
  2. Taiga
  3. Deciduous Forest
  4. Grassland
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