Unit 1 Study Guide PDF

# Unit 1 Study Guide ## What are Earth's spheres and what do each consist of? 1. **Hydrosphere** - all water on Earth, including water vapor in the atmosphere and permanently frozen in the cryosphere. 2. **Geosphere** - area of Earth from surface to its center - crust, mantle, outer core, inn...

# Unit 1 Study Guide ## What are Earth's spheres and what do each consist of? 1. **Hydrosphere** - all water on Earth, including water vapor in the atmosphere and permanently frozen in the cryosphere. 2. **Geosphere** - area of Earth from surface to its center - crust, mantle, outer core, inner core. 3. **Biosphere** - all living organisms on Earth, including their environments. 4. **Atmosphere** - blanket of gases that surrounds Earth - all these systems are independent and have an effect on one another. ## States of matter 1. **Solid** - has densely packed particles (definite shape and volume) 2. **Liquid** - molecules slide past one another, making it fluid (definite shape but NOT a definite volume) 3. **Gas** - fast moving particles (no definite shape or volume) 4. **Plasma** - when particles of a gas move so fast it loses electrons (electrical conducting gas) ## Law of Conservation of Energy/Matter Matter and energy is neither created nor destroyed, it only changes forms! # Exothermic Versus Endothermic Reactions - **Exothermic** is when thermal energy **decreases (leaves)** - **Endothermic** is when thermal energy **increases (enters)** ## Changes of states of matter 1. **Melting** - solid to liquid (ex: ice cream, ice cube) 2. **Vaporization/Evaporation** - liquid to gas (ex: boiling water, fish bowl) 3. **Sublimation** - solid to gas (ex: dry ice) 4. **Ionization** - gas to plasma (ex: lightening) 5. **Recombination** - plasma to gas (ex: thunder) 6. **Condensation** - gas to liquid (ex: dew) 7. **Freezing** - liquid to solid (ex: popsicle, ice) 8. **Deposition** - gas to solid (ex: mirror) # Mineral A naturally occuring, inorganic solid with a definite crystal. ## Most Common Minerals - Olivine, hornblende, quartz ## How are minerals formed? - Through solutions as evaporites and through cooling magma. # Characteristics of a Mineral 1. **Color** - least reliable 2. **Luster** - way a mineral reflects light 3. **Streak** - the color of a mineral when it is broken down 4. **Cleavage** - easily and evenly broken 5. **Fracture** - rough and jagged breaks 6. **Hardness** - how easily a mineral can be scratched 7. **Crystal** - minerals have a distinct crystal shapes 8. **Special properties** - magnetism, iridescence, fluorescence # Mineral Groups 1. **Silicates** - contains silicon and oxygen (makes up 90% of Earth's crust) 2. **Carbonates** - contains metallic elements and carbonate ions 3. **Oxides** - contains an oxygen and a metal 4. **Sulfides** - contains a sulfur and one or more elements 5. **Sulfates** - contains a sulfate ion 6. **Halides** - made up of chloride or fluoride with a calcium, sodium, or potassium. 7. **Native elements** - made up of one element ONLY (silver, gold) # Economic Minerals - **Ore** - contains a useful substance that can be mined at a profit (ex: coal, iron) - **Gem** - valuable minerals that are prized for rarity and beauty (ex: emeralds, diamonds) # Rocks 1. **Igneous** - **Intrusive** - formed when magma cools below Earth's surface - **Extrusive** - when mama cools on Earth's surface - **Volcanic glass** - when lava cools so fast crystals do not form. 2. **Sedimentary** - Formed when sediments are compacted through lithification - Fossils are found in these rocks. 3. **Metamorphic** - **Foliated** - rocks with layers and bands of minerals. - **Nonfoliated** - rocks with blocky crystal shapes. # Soil - **Parent material** - the source rock in which most soil is formed. - **Residual soil** - develops from weathered bedrock - **Transported soil** - develops from weathered material that has been transported. # Soil Profile A vertical sequence of soil layers: - **Organic layer** - humus and organic matter - **Topsoil** - minerals with organic matter - **Eluviation layer** - leached of nutrients - **Subsoil** - deposited minerals + metal salts - **Parent rock** - partially weathered rock - **Bed rock** - unweathered rock ## What factors affect soil formation? 1. **Climate** - temperature, wind, and rainfall determine the type of soil (most significant factor) 2. **Topography** - slope and orientation of the land 3. **Parent material** - will have the same chemical composition as local bedrock if its residual. If soil is transported, it will have a different chemical composition. 4. **Biological activity** - organisms interact with soil and influence the type of soil. 5. **Time** - soils take thousands of years to develop. # Renewable Resource A natural resource that is replaced as fast as its used. (Ex: air, wind, land, sun) # Non-renewable Resource A resource that exists in a fixed amount. (Ex: fossil fuels, diamonds, copper) # Land Provides a place for humans and other organisms to live and interact. # Air Air pollution harms living things and can be natural or due to humans. # Water 71% of Earth is covered in water and it helps to regulate climate and agriculture. # Energy - **Fuel** - materials that are consumed to produce energy - **Biomass fuel** - fuels derived from living things - **Ethanol** - liquid produced by fermenting crops that are blended with gasoline for consumption - **Biodiesel** - manufactured from vegetable oil, animal fats or recycled restaurant grease - **Fossil fuel** - energy sources that form over time as a result of decomposing organic matter. # Alternative Energy - **Solar energy** - harnesses solar energy for use - **Hydro electric** - generated by converting energy of free falling water to electricity. - **Nuclear fission** - the process in which a nucleus divides and releases energy.