Investigating Astronomy 2nd

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CH05 End of Chapter Answers

Review Questions

1. The snow on the mountain can change phases in two ways: it can melt to form
water, or it can sublimate directly back to water vapor, depending on the local
conditions. The snow that melts runs downhill, transporting the water from higher
elevations to lower ones. As it runs downhill, some water evaporates into the air.
Eventually any water that is left joins the ocean; there it too may eventually
evaporate. The water vapor in the air from all processes moves due to winds. If
enough water vapor is together and cools, it will begin to stick together into droplets
or frozen ice crystals, forming clouds. Droplets may merge into larger droplets and
fall as rain, or ice crystals may grow larger and fall as snow.
2. Water has several unique properties: (a) It increases in size when it freezes (goes
from liquid to solid), which is also why ice floats. (b) Water also is resistant to
temperature changes―it takes more heat (or heat loss) to change the temperature
of water than it does most other substances. This moderating effect is useful for life,
and allows water to transport energy great distances. (c) Water also, like many
liquids, tends to stick together and flow easily. Because of this “stickiness” it easily
forms droplets in clouds and can attach to many surfaces. (d) Water is also very
good at dissolving other materials, such as salt or sugar and even rock.

3. The greenhouse effect traps infrared radiation from the ground causing
temperatures to be higher than they would be. It is because our atmosphere
contains greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and water vapor that are partially
opaque to infrared radiation.
4. We know that the Earth was once entirely molten because it has differentiated.
The densest parts of the Earth have sunk to the center of the planet while the
lightest parts of the Earth have risen to the surface.

5. There are three types of seismic waves. The first type is known as surface waves,
which only travel along the surface of the Earth. The second type is known as P-
waves. These waves travel like sound waves, oscillating in the same direction as
they move. The third type is known as S-waves. S-waves travel like light waves,
oscillating perpendicular to their direction of motion. Both P- and S-waves will
travel through the Earth after an earthquake and can be used to probe the interior
of the Earth. S-waves cannot travel through liquid, so they are helpful in
determining the liquid core of the Earth. The fact that there are some locations on
Earth where no waves are detected tells us that the density of the Earth changes
abruptly at the boundary between the mantle and the core.

6. The Earth has a dense, solid inner core composed mostly of iron surrounded by a
liquid outer core of iron. Above this is a mantle layer composed of iron and silicon
compounds. The top layer of the mantle is plastic; a molten layer than slowly flows
over time. Resting on top of this layer is the Earth’s crust, a low-density layer of
rocks and silicates.
7. We have indirect evidence that the Earth’s core is composed of iron because the
density of surface rocks is less dense than the average density of the Earth. For this
to be true there must be a region that is denser. More direct evidence comes from
monitoring how P- and S-waves travel through the Earth after an earthquake. Both
P- and S-waves will travel through the Earth after an earthquake and can be used to
probe the interior of the Earth. S-waves cannot travel through liquid, so they are
helpful in determining the liquid core of the Earth. The fact that there are some
locations on Earth where no waves are detected tells us that the density of the Earth
changes abruptly at the boundary between the mantle and the core.

8. The Earth’s crust is composed of rocks and silicates that are broken into a number
of plates. As the molten layer of the mantle flows over time, the crust moves along
on top, causing the surface of the Earth to slowly move over time. When two plates
come together, one is pushed upward while the other is pushed downward. This can
cause mountain ranges like the Himalayan Mountains, as well as subduction zones
such as exists along the west coast of South America. When two plates move apart,
they create a mid-ocean rift through which molten material from the mantle can rise
up, creating a mid-ocean ridge composed of basalt.

9. Convection is the large-scale circulation of a fluid due to a temperature gradient.

In general, warm material rises upward while cooler material sinks downward. The
upper layer of the mantle is plastic, allowing it to move over time. As the interior
heats the bottom layer it rises upward, being replaced by cooler material, and
convection occurs. As this material moves around, the crust, which is floating on top
of it, moves along with it.
10. Earth’s surface is reshaped over time as crustal plates move. When two plates
come together, one is pushed upward while the other is pushed downward. This can
cause mountain ranges like the Himalayan Mountains, as well as subduction zones
such as exists along the west coast of South America. When two plates move apart,
they create a mid-ocean rift through which molten material from the mantle can rise
up, creating a mid-ocean ridge composed of basalt.

11. As charged particles in Earth’s liquid core move around due to the rotation of the
Earth, they create a magnetic field. Similar to the magnetic field created by a bar
magnet, Earth’s global magnetic field has a north and south pole and surrounds the
Earth. Earth’s magnetic field protects us from charged particles, deflecting them
around the Earth so that they do not hit us. Some of the charged particles have their
paths deflected such that they enter Earth’s atmosphere near the magnetic poles,
creating the auroras. If the Earth did not have a magnetic field, then the charged
particles would not be funneled down to these locations and would encounter
Earth’s atmosphere at all locations, probably making them more common then they
are today.
12. Ozone is important because it protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation
from the Sun. If the level of ozone decreases, then more ultraviolet radiation would
enter through Earth’s atmosphere, which would make the Sun’s rays more harmful.
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, and the amount of carbon dioxide in our
atmosphere controls the level of the greenhouse effect. If the amount of carbon
dioxide increased, it would raise temperatures on Earth, which would have a
profound effect on life on Earth.
13. The depletion of ozone allows more ultraviolet radiation to enter Earth’s
atmosphere, which could be damaging to the cellular structure of living organisms.
Global warming is an increase in temperatures worldwide due to an increase in
greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. The two are not related and have nothing
to do with each other.

Web Chat Questions

1. As the population on Earth increases, not only do we have to worry about the
obvious effects, such as feeding more people and having enough space, but we also
have to worry about the increased effect that more humans have on Earth. More
people mean more transportation and more industry, both of which have an effect
on the levels of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. A dramatic increase in
greenhouse gases causes global warming, which in turn has an effect on the food
cycle of most living organisms. Eventually, nature will begin to regulate this effect.
As food production declines, populations won’t grow as quickly. Humans may also
curb this growth through regulations such as limiting the number of children a
family is allowed (China already has a law in place) or regulating greenhouse gas
emissions. In terms of colonizing another planet, answers may vary, depending on
student beliefs.
2. Answers may vary depending on which aspects of technology and society
students decide to focus. There is no one right answer.

Collaborative Exercises
1. Answers may vary depending on the height of the student, but in general,
students simply need to take the depths of the various layers and convert them to
scale as demonstrated in the question.

Observing Projects

1. a) The edges of western Africa and eastern South America appear to have similar
shapes, suggesting that they were in contact earlier in geological history. The Red
Sea and the Persian Gulf in northeast Africa and the Near East appear to be cracks
that have opened recently in geological history.
b) At this distance and with the resolution of this image, no man-made structures
are discernible. The green colors of parts of the Earth would suggest vegetation.

2. There are clouds above the Earth’s surface showing patterns that indicate
circulating motion. The dark–light transition on the Earth is not sharp as one might
expect from an object without an atmosphere.

3. a) It is difficult if not impossible to see evidence of man-made objects such as

major bridges or the Great Wall of China from this point in space.
b) The detail available on the Google images shows how important it is to provide
equivalent detail in images of other planets in order to evaluate the surface
conditions and search for evidence of life forms upon these distant worlds.