Geology Homework 1

Geology 101

Homework 1

1) Draw flowchart to describe scientific method.

2) Give example of how scientific method might be used in everyday life.

Observation - wake up sweating.

Prediction - A/C not running.

Test prediction - checked thermostat, temp shows high temp, turned thermostat down.

Confirm or reject- house cools down then prediction is confirmed; if house does not cool down a new prediction would be required such as: power to controller, compressor problem, Freon level. Each one would have its own specific test to confirm or reject the prediction.

3) Describe different parts of the earth's interior and know how to label them.

4) Briefly describe how convection works in a heated fluid.

A) Heat source heats the bottom of the liquid

B) The increased heat increases the volume and decreases the density d=m/v.

C) The lower density liquid rises, as it raises it begins to cool.

D) As the liquid cools it becomes denser and begins to descend.

E) When the liquid reaches the bottom the heat source heats the liquid again.

F) The cycle continues in a somewhat circular rotation.

5) What are the different types of plate boundaries? How do the plates move here? Is lithosphere created, destroyed, or shifted at this boundary?

A) Diverging - Plates move apart causing earth to crack open and volcanoes to form; lithosphere is created by this volcanism.

B) Converging - plates collide, mountains/islands are built; oceanic lithosphere is destroyed.

C) Transform boundary - plates slide next to each-other; lithosphere is not created or destroyed.

6) What are the three different types of rocks? Where/ how are they formed?

A) Igneous - these are rocks that have formed from molten rock that has cooled; this can occur when a volcano erupts. They are very dense, very hard, and "crystalline".

B) Metamorphic - these rocks are formed from rocks that have undergone the effects of heat and pressure thus changing the rock in some matter, a metamorphosis of the rock.

C) Sedimentary - these rocks form from the pieces of other broken and pulverized rocks. Water is the main cause of breaking rocks down as well as moving dust and sediment to other areas to combine with different rock pieces.

7) What are the five criteria used to determine whether or not something is a mineral? Know how to apply these criteria in everyday life.

1) The first observation to make is whether or not the substance in question is man-made or naturally occurring; the substance must be naturally occurring to be considered a mineral.

2) The substance must be inorganic.

3) The substance should be of crystalline structure.

4) The substance must have a definite chemical composition, for example: Iron (FE).

5) The substance will have definite physical properties; these properties will differ among other minerals.

8) Define or describe:

A) Element - a substance that is composed of atoms that all have identical proton counts, elements cannot be broken down further except for by nuclear methods.

B) Atom - atoms are the smallest parts of matter, they are orbited by electrons.

C) Proton - component of an atom, has a +1 charge, resides within the nucleus.

D) Neutron - component of an atom, has a neutral charge, resides within nucleus.

E) Electrons- component of atom, has a negative charge, orbits nucleus of atom exist within electron shell.

F) Nucleus - the center of the atom consisting of protons and neutrons.

G) Electron shells - area around nucleus where electrons exist and orbit, different quantum energy electrons exist in different energy level shells.

9) Draw an atom of an element including the protons, neutrons, electrons, nucleus and electron shells.

10) Define atomic number, atomic mass number, and isotope; calculate the number of protons/ neutrons in examples A and B.

Atomic number - this is the number of protons in an element, also corresponds to the number of the element itself on the periodic table.

Atomic mass - the atomic mass is the average mass of an element, the atomic mass is the sum of the protons and neutrons in the element.

Isotope - an isotope is an element that contains the same proton count as the original element, but the neutron count is different; this changes the atomic mass amount of the element.

A) What is the atomic mass number of element containing 6 protons and 6 neutrons?

Atomic mass= protons + neutrons.

Atomic mass= 6 + 6 = 12

The mass number would be 12 the element would be magnesium.

B) An element has an atomic mass number of 13 and a proton number of 6, how many neutrons does it have?

Atomic mass = protons + neutrons

13 = 6 + N

7 = Nuetrons

11) Difference between radioactive and stable isotopes.

Radioactive isotopes decay at a defined rate (loss of electrons/protons, decay into other elements).

Stable