MCAS Science ReviewEarth’s History

MCAS Science Review Earth’s History and Space Science

Overview

Earth’s History

1. How is the earth’s surface changed by slow processes such as erosion, weathering, and the weather?

2. How is the earth’s surface changed by rapid processes such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes?

The Earth in the Solar System

1. What is a solar system? 2. Where is the earth in relation to the sun in our solar system?3. Describe the earth’s revolution around the sun.4. Describe the earth’s rotation on a tilted axis.5. How does the appearance of the moon change over the course of a month?

Earth’s History

How is the earth’s surface changed by slow processes such as erosion, weathering, and the weather?

Weathering is the breaking up of rock by chemical or mechanical means. Erosion is the moving away of the weathered material. Both can be happen naturally or are caused by humans.

Weathering

Weathering is the breaking up of rock by chemical or mechanical means.

Chemical weathering occurs when rocks are dissolved by chemical reactions. Chemical weathering occurs in all types and sizes of rocks, but smaller rocks are more susceptible because they have a greater amount of surface area.

Chemical reactions break down the bonds holding the rocks together, causing them to fall apart, forming smaller and smaller pieces. Chemical weathering is much more common in locations where there is a lot of water. This is because water is important to many of the chemical reactions that can take place. Warmer temperatures are also more friendly to chemical weathering.

The most common types of chemical weathering occur when oxygen, carbon dioxide, or water combines with other elements in rocks to form new softer types of rock, liquids, or other substances. These other substances can be easily eroded, or carried away.

Weathering

Weathering is the breaking up of rock by chemical or mechanical means. Fast mechanical weathering occurs when rocks are broken up by plants, animals, gravity, ice or other rocks. Some mechanical weathering, such as rocks falling and piling up, can take place quickly. Animals, mainly humans, that dig up, plow up, or plow up the land, can also cause fast mechanical weathering.

Weathering

Weathering is the breaking up of rock by chemical or mechanical means. Slower mechanical weathering occurs as growing plant roots break up rocks, dust blown by wind carves rocks, or glaciers slowly drag themselves across the earth. Water that freezes and thaws in cracks in rocks over many months or years can also slowly weather rocks.

Erosion

Erosion is the moving away of the weathered material. Natural factors such as the wind, the oceans, rivers, and animals all cause erosion, which is the moving away of weathered materials.

Erosion

Humans also cause much erosion.

Earth’s History

How is the earth’s surface changed by rapid processes such as landslides, volcanic eruptions,

and earthquakes?

The Earth in the Solar System

What is a solar system?

A solar system is a group of bodies revolving around a star.

The Earth in the Solar System

Where is the earth in relation to the sun in our solar system?

Earth is the third planet from the sun. Pluto is no longer considered a planet.

no longer considered a planet

The Earth in the Solar System

Describe the earth’s revolution around the sun.

The Earth is 93 million miles from the Sun.

The Earth in the Solar System

Describe the earth’s rotation on a tilted axis.

The Earth rotates on an axis that is tilted 23o. This tilt does not change orientation as the Earth revolves around the Sun once every 365 days. The parts of the Earth are tilted toward the Sun receive more direct sunlight than parts tilted away, and the length of exposure is longer, so these parts tilted toward the Sun are warmer than the others. This action determines the four seasons or lack of them in different parts of the globe.

The Earth in the Solar System

How does the appearance of the moon change over the course of a month?

We see the part of the moon that reflects the Sun’s light. The appearance of the moon changes during the month because of its position relative to the Earth and Sun.

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