Topic: Global Warming

1. Global Warming

What is global warming and what are some causes of global warming?

It is the gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere. It is when the earth heats up (temperature rises).

Causes: Carbon dioxide emissions from-fossil fuel burning power plants, and burning gasoline for transportation. Methane emissions from animals. Deforestation, especially tropical forests for wood, pulp, and farmland. Increase in usage of chemical fertilizers on croplands. Rise in Sea levels is an effect of global warming.

Topic: Global Warming

2. Carbon Dioxide

What is Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and how does it relate to global warming?

It is a colorless, odorless gas prduced by burning carbon and organic compounds and by respiration. It is naturally present in air (about 0.03 percent). Carbon Dioxide Emissions is the release of carbon dioxide gas (co2) into the atmosphere.

Carbon Dioxide emmissions relates to global warming, because it is released too much into the atmosphere. The overall temperature keeps on increasing.

Topic: Global Warming

3. Green House Effect

What is the Green House Effect and how does it relate to Global Warming?

It is the trapping of the sun's warmth in a planet's lower atmosphere due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet's surface.

There are many ways it relates to global warming. It relates to global warming because population growth, deforestation, factories, land use changes, burning of natural gas, accelerates the natural process by creating more increase in the air in the lower atmosphere.

Topic: Global Warming

4. Green House Gases

What are Green House Gases and how do they relate to Global Warming?

They are a gas that contributes to the green house effect by absorbing infrared radiation, e.g. carbon dioxide.

Green House Gases relate to Global Warming, because Co2 is holding heat back from going into space which in turn raise the temperature of the earth.

Topic: Active Earth

5. Mantle

Where is the mantle located in Earth's interior? 

Topic: Active Earth

6. Crust

Where is the crust located and what are the two types of crusts?

Topic: Active Earth

7. Inner and Outer Core

Where are they located and what is earth's inner core like?

Topic: Active Earth

8. Asthenosphere

What happens in the Asthenosphere?

Topic: Active Earth

9. Lithosphere

Where is it located and what does it make up?

Topic: Active Earth

10. Convection Current

How are Convection Currents created?

Topic: Active Earth

11. Alfred Wegner

What was his theory?

Topic: Active Earth

12. Theory of Continental Drift

What was the idea of the Continental Drift? 

Topic: Active Earth

13. Convergent Plate Boundaries

What happens in Convergent Plate Boundaries?

Topic: Active Earth

14. Divergent Plate Boundaries

What happens during this?

Topic: Active Earth

15. Transform Fault Plate Boundaries

What occurs between the plates during this?

Topic: Active Earth

16. Theory of Plate Tectonics

What is the idea of this theory?

Topic: Active Earth

17. Earthquakes

What is an Earthquake and where do most earthquakes occur?

This is a sudden and violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth's crust. Most occur along any type of plate boundary.

Topic: Active Earth

18. Elastic Rebound Theory

How is this like a rubber band?

Topic: Active Earth

19. Earthquake Energy

What is the path in which energy flows?

Topic: Active Earth

20. Locating an Earthquake

What is used to determine how far an earthquake has occured? 

Topic: Active Earth

21. Primary waves

What do these waves do?

Topic: Active Earth

22. Secondary Waves

What do these waves do?

Topic: Active Earth

23. Surface Waves

What do these waves correspond to?

Topic: Active Earth

24. Seismograms

What do these measure?

Topic: Active Earth

25. Epicenter

Where is this located?

Topic: Active Earth

26. Focus

Where is this located?

Topic: Active Earth

27. Mercalli Scale

What does it measure?

Topic: Active Earth

28. Richter Scale

What does this scale indicate for earthquakes?

Topic: Active Earth

29. Earthquake Hazards

What are the hazards?

• Ground motion (shaking)
• Fault and Ground Displacement
• Aftershock
• Fire
• Landslides
• Tsunami
• Flooding

Topic: Active Earth

30. Volcanoes

What is a volcanoe and how does it involve plates?

Topic: Active Earth

31. Ring of Fire

How does a volcano involve the ring of fire?

Topic: Active Earth

32. Composite

What are Composite Volcanoes made up of?

Topic: Active Earth

33. Shield

What is a Shield Volcano and what are the eruptions like?

Topic: Active Earth

34. Cinder Cone

How do Cinder Cones cause violent eruptions?

Topic: Active Earth

35. Volcano Hazards

What are the different types of volcanic hazards?

• Eruption Columns and Clouds
• Volcanic Gases
• Lava Flows and Domes
• Pyroclastic Flows
• Volcano Landslides
• Lahars

Topic: Violent Weather

36. Troposphere

What occurs in this layer?

Topic: Violent Weather

37. Stratosphere

What does this layer contain and what is the temperature like?

Topic: Violent Weather

38. Ozone Layer

How do CFC's change the Ozone Layer?

It is the depletion of the Ozone Layer. It is caused by the release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). When CFCs reach the stratosphere, the ultraviolent radiation from the sun causes them to break apart and release chlorine atoms, which react with ozone, starting chemical cycles of ozone destruction that deplete the ozone layer. One Chlorine atom can break apart more that 100,000 ozone molecules.

Topic: Violent Weather

39. Mesosphere

What is this layer's temperature and thickness like?

Topic: Violent Weather

40. Thermosphere

What is the temperature like at this layer?

Topic: Violent Weather

41. Ionosphere

What causes the hot temperatures and what are the lights called?

Topic: Violent Weather

42. Water Cycle

Can you describe the water cycle using the terms precipitation, condensation, evaporation, and transpiration?

Topic: Violent Weather

43. Forms of Precipitation

What is precipitation? Describe how it is used in the water cycle.

Topic: Violent Weather

44. Humidity

What is humidity? How does this relate to relative humidity?

Topic: Violent Weather

45. Dew Point

 What is dew point and how does it include humidity?

Topic: Violent Weather

46. High Pressure

In a high pressure area, how is this formed? What does the pressure in the upper atmosphere do to the rising warm air?

Topic: Violent Weather

47. Low Pressure

 In a low pressure area, how is this formed? What does the pressure in the upper atmosphere do to the rising warm air? 

Topic: Violent Weather

48. Isobars

What do Isobars measure? What are some  facts about Isobars?

Topic: Violent Weather

49. Isotherms

 What is an Isotherm? What does the line connect?

Topic: Violent Weather

50. Four main types of air masses

What are the four types of air masses and what is the difference between them?

The four main types of air masses are Maritime Tropical, Maritime Polar, Continental Tropical, and Continental Polar. Continental tropical is warm and dry. Continental Polar is cold and dry. Maritime polar is wet and cold. Maritime tropical is wet and warm.

Topic: Violent Weather

51. Warm Front

What is a front and where do warm fronts come from?  

Topic: Violent Weather

52. Cold Front

How does this create a large cloud base? What do these clouds cause?

Topic: Violent Weather

53. Stationary Front

What is a stationary front, and what are the conditions like?

Topic: Violent Weather

54. Stratus Cloud

What does a stratus cloud look like?

Topic: Violent Weather

55. Cumulus Clouds

What do these clouds look like?

Topic: Violent Weather

56. Cirrus Clouds

What are these clouds like?

Topic: Violent Weather

57. Climate

What is climate and how is it different from weather?

This term is the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period. A region with particular prevailign weather conditions. The difference from weather and climate is a measure of time. Weather is what conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time.

Topic: Violent Weather

58. Weather

What is weather and how is it different from climate?

This is what conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time. This is different from climate because of the measure of time.

Topic: Violent Weather

59. The 3 Main Climate Zones of the World

What are the three main climate zones of the world? Describe them.

Polar- has the coldest temperatures almost always below freezing.

Temperate- Contains most of the Earth's land masses with more moderate temperatres and rainfall year-round.

Tropical zones- Has the warmest average temperatures and gets the most rain.

Topic: Violent Weather

60. Biome

 What is a biome, and what are the three factors that determine the type of biome?

Topic: Violent Weather

61. Desert Biome

What occurs in this biome?

Characterized by dry conditions and plants and animals that have adopted to those conditions. The climate of this biome is hot and dry. They are found at the lower latitudes, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The heat is very dry and that makes it hard for too many types of plants or animals to be able to survive in such biomes. There are two types of deserts that determine the climate. They are subtropical (hot) and temperate (cold).

Topic: Violent Weather

62. Forest Biome

What occurs in this biome?

This biome includes areas that are dominated by trees and other woody vegitation. There are three types of forest biomes that are called rain forests, deciduous forests, and are boreal forest. The climates for all three are all humid, have lots of trees and home to all sorts of wildlife.

Topic: Violent Weather

63. Grassland Biome

What occurs in this biome?

This biome is characterized as lands dominated by grasses rather than large shrubs or trees. There are many types of grasslands around the world. Some of the grasslands are tropical and some are dry grasslands. Sumers are hot and winters are very cold.

Topic: Violent Weather

64. Tundra Biome

What occurs in this biome?

In the arctic tundra there are two seasons: winter and summer. In the summer, the sun is present almost 24 hours a day. In the winter the opposite light conditions are present. There are several weeks where the sun never rises. This causes the temperatures to drop to extremely cold levels.

Topic: Violent Weather

65. Thunderstorm Ingredients

What are the basic ingredients necessary for a thunderstorm to form?

The basic ingredients are the moisture, unstable atmosphere, and a "trigger". A trigger can be a cold front, a warm front, upper level disturbance or even a lake breeze boundary.

Topic: Violent Weather

66. Thunderstorm life stages

What are the life stages?

Topic: Violent Weather

67. Single cell thunderstorm

What is this thunderstorm like?

In this type of thunderstorm, there is only one major source of warm, moist air, and the storm typically ends quickly because it essentially runs out of ammunition. Thunderstorms are most common in the tropics, where warm, moist air abounds, and in some regions, small ones occur almost every day.

Topic: Violent Weather

68. Multi-cell thunderstorm

What is this thunderstorm like?

These storms have multiple sources, and many form up into a cell cluster or squall line, a series of storms that hammer an area repeatedly until all of the storms pass over. Thunderstorms are most common in the tropics, where warm, moist air abounds, and in some regions, small ones occur almost every day.

Topic: Violent Weather

69. Super cell thunderstorm

What is this thunderstorm like?

In this type of thunderstorm, the cloud actually breaks up through the troposphere, and the resulting storm has tremendous energy, which can in turn create hurricanes and tornadoes. Thunderstorms are most common in the tropics, where warm, moist air abounds, and in some regions, small ones occur almost every day.

Topic: Violent Weather

70. Squall line

What is a squall line? Descibe it.

A narrow band of high winds and storms associated with a cold front.

Topic: Violent Weather

71. Lightning

What is lightning and what occurs during it?

The occurance of a natural electrical discharge of very short duration and high voltage between a cloud and the round or within a cloud, accompanied by a bright flash and typically also thunder. When lightning strikes, it usually hits the tallest object first.  Positive and negative charges attract.

Topic: Violent Weather

72. Thunder

What is thunder?

A loud rumbling or crashing noise heard after a lightning flash due to the expansion of rapidly heated air. Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Light travels faster than sound so we see lightning before we hear thunder. Thousands of years ago philosophers such as Aristotle believed that thunder was caused by the collision of clouds.

Topic: Violent Weather

73. Tornado

What is a tornado and how do we measure the strength of one?

A tornado is a rapidly spinning tube of air that touches both the ground and a cloud above. The Fujita Scale is a common way of measuring the strength of tornadoes. The scale ranges from F0 tornadoes that cause minimal damage through to F5 tornadoes which cause massive damage.

Topic: Violent Weather

74. Fujita Scale

What is this scale?

This scale is based on six categories, converts the degree and type of damage caused by a tornado into an estimation of the wind speeds inside the funnel. The classification of a tornado must, therefore, be done after the event, basod on the degree of damage. As of Februrary 1, 2007, the Fujita Scale has been replaced by the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale), now used operationally to estimate tornado intensity and wind speed.

Topic: Violent Weather

75. Tornado Alley

What is a Tornado Alley?

An area of the Great Plains centered on eastern Kansas and Oklahoma and including parts of the surrounding states, where tornadoes are frequent.

Topic: Violent Weather

76. Hurricane

What is a Hurricane?

A storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean. A violent uproar or outburst. Hurricanes develop over warm water and uses it as an energy source.

Topic: Violent Weather

77. Saffir-Simpson Scale

What is a Saffir-Simpson Scale?

The Saffir- Simpson Hurricane Scale is a 1-5 rating based on the hurricane's present intensity. This is used to give an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding expected along the coast from a hurricane landfall. Wind speed is the determining factor in the scale, as storm surge values are highly dependent on the slope of the continental shelf in the landfall region.

Topic: Violent Weather

78. Surface Observation Symbol

What are the components of a Surface Observation Symbol?

Topic: Energy

79. Kinetic Energy

What is Kinetic Energy and how is it different from Potential?

Topic: Energy

80. Formula for calculating Kinetic Energy

What is the Kinetic Energy formula? 

Topic: Energy

81. Potential Energy

What is Potential Energy?

Topic: Energy

82. Formula for calculating Potential Energy

What is the formula for Potential Energy?

Topic: Energy

83. Chemical Energy

What is chemical energy?

It is stored in the particles that make up food, fuel and other matter. The food you eat gives chemical energy which allows you to walk, run, and move.

Topic: Energy

84. Mechanical Energy

What is mechanical energy?

This is is matter in motion. An airplane soaring through the sky has mechanical energy just like the wind or a flowing river. Sound is an example of another type of mechanical energy.

Topic: Energy

85. Nuclear Energy

How is this formed?

It is formed when tiny particles called atoms split apart (fission) or join together (fusion). The Sun's energy is produced from nuclear reaction.

Topic: Energy

86. Electrical Energy

What is this the movement of?

This is the movement of charged particles, negative (-) and positive (+). It can come from batteries or power plants and it can also be found in nature. Power plants burn fuel to make electricity which is then sent to homes and businesses through wires.

Topic: Energy

87. Thermal energy

What happens with the particles in thermal energy?

This comes from the motion of tiny particles in matter. The faster the particles move, the warmer the matter can get. Examples of thermal energy are stoves and matches.

Topic: Energy

88. Energy Transformation

What is an energy transformation? What are some examples?

This is the process of changing one form of energy to another. Some examples of main energy forms are; radiant (light) energy, chemical energy, mechanical energy, nuclear energy, electrical energy, heat (thermal) energy, and energy of sound. Example: Toaster : Electrical energy enters the toaster and converts it to thermal heat and then a poping sound when the toast is done.

Topic: Energy

89. Law of Conservation of Energy

What does this law state?

Topic: Energy

90. Fossil Fuels 

What is the formation, sources, and primary uses?

The three different types of fossil fuels which are the primary uses are coal, oil, and natural gas. They were formed from prehistoric plants and animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago. When the living things died, they decomposed and became buried under layers and layers of mud, rock, and sand. Eventually, hundreds and sometimes thousands of feet of earth covered them. In some areas, the decomposing materials were covered by ancient seas, then the seas dried up and receded. During the millions of years that passed, the dead plants and animals slowly decomposed into organic materials and formed fossil fuels. Different types of fossil fuels were formed depending on what combonation of animal and plant debris was present, how long the material was buried, and what conditions of temperature and pressure existed when they were decomposing.

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Topic: Energy

91. Coal, oil, and natural gas

How are all of these terms formed and how does it relate to fossil fuel?

Coal, Oil, and Natural gas are known as the different types of fossil fuels. Coal was formed over hundreds and millions of years ago when the earth was covered in thick plant life. Over a long period of time, increased pressure and heat turned the lignite into a harder type of coal than burn better. Oil is formed in sedimentary ocean basins. It was also formed more than 300 million years ago. Some scientists say that tiny diatoms are the source of oil. Diatoms are sea creatures the size of a pin head. Natural gas is formed when organic matter (such as the remains of a plant or animal) is compressed under the earth, at a very high pressure for a very long time.

Topic: Energy

92. Alternative Energy

What is this kind of energy?

Energy generated in ways that do not deplete natural resources or harm the environment, especially by avoiding the use of fossil fuels and nuclear power. This is usually environmentally friendly, this is energy from uncommon sources such as wind power or solar energy, not fossil fuels. Energy from a source other than the conventional fossil-fuel sources of oil, natural gas and coal (wind, running water, the sun). Also reffered to as "alternative fuel."

Topic: Energy

93. Solar Energy

What is this kind of energy?

This type of energy is radiant energy emitted by the sun. This is also energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy.

Topic: Energy

94. Wind energy

What is wind energy?

Topic: Energy

95. Geothermal Energy

What is this type of energy?

Topic: Energy

96. Hydroelectric Energy

What does this type of energy do?

Topic: Energy

97. Biomass Energy

What can this type of energy do and what are examples?

This type of energy is an organic matter that can be used to make fuels, chemicals and other products, as well as provide heat or electricity. For example, wood is one of the oldest and most commonly used examples of biomass. Burning it produces heat to give us warmth. Other sources include plants, aquatic plants, animal waste, organic compounds from municipal and industrial waste, which can be used to produce fuels and chemicals, as well as power. Biomass resources can be replenished through cultivation of energy crops such as fast growing trees and grasses.

Topic: Energy

98. Tidal Energy

May you explain how this alternative method is used to generate electricity?

This type of energy is produced through the use of tidal energy generators. These large underwater turbines are placed in areas with high tidal movements, and are designed to capture the kinetic motion of the ebbing and surging of ocean tides in order to produce electricity. Tidal power has great potential for future power and electricity generation because of massive size of the oceans.

Topic: Energy

99. Renewable Energy

What is this type of energy and what are some examples?

This energy comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable (naturally replenished). Some more examples are hydropower, wind energy, solar power, geothermal, ocean thermal, and biofuel.

Topic: Energy

100. Nonrenewable energy

What is this type of energy and what are some examples?

This type of energy is a natural resource which cannot be produced, grown, generated, or used on a scale which can sustain its consumption rate. These resources often exist in a fixed amount, or are consumed much faster that nature can create them. A non-renewable resource once depleted can never be renewed or replaced or may take millions of years to be replenished. Some examples are coal, lignite, oil, natural gas, shale oil, and uranium.

Topic: Energy

101. Electrons

What are electrons and when do two objects repel and attract each other?

Topic: Energy

102. Staic Electricity

What happens during static electricity?

A stationary electric charge, typically produced by friction, that causes sparks or crackling or the attraction of dust or hair. This is the result of an imbalance between negative and positive charges in an object. These charges can build up on the surface of an object until they find a way to be released or discharged. One way to discharge them is through a circuit. The rubbing of a certain materials against one another can transfer negative charges, or electrons.

Topic: Energy

103. Static Charge

What is a static charge?

Topic: Energy

104. Conductors

What do conductors do? What are some of the best conductors?

This is something that allows electricity, heat or light to flow through it. Most metals are conductors of heat and electricity. Some of the best conductors are gold and silver, copper, aluminum, iron and nickel. Conductors of light is a substance that permits the flow of light. Interestingly, most conductors of light are not good conductors of electricity- they are insulators -but may or may not also be good thermal insulators. For instance diamond is a good conductor of light, is a conductor of heat but is still a good electrical insulator.

Topic: Energy

105. Insulator

What is an insulator and what are some examples?

This is a material or an object that does not easily allow heat, electricity, light, or sound to pass through it. Air, cloth, and rubber are good electrical insulators; feathers and wool make good thermal insulators.

Topic: Energy

106. Coulomb

What is this and who was it named after?

This SI unit of electric charge, equal to the quantitiy of electricity conveyed in one second by a current of one ampere. One coulomb is also the amount of excess charge on the positive side of acapacitance of one farad charged to a potential difference of one volt. This SI unit was named after Charles-Augustin de Coulomb.

Topic: Energy

107. Volt

What does this express about energy?

This is a unit which expresses how much energy a unit of charge will recieve (or expend) if it is moved from one location at one voltage to another location at another voltage. Really, it's the difference in voltages rom one point to another which is important, just as in ohter kinds of potential energy.

Topic: Energy

108. Resistance

What is resistance? Describe what happens if it is longer or smaller.

Topic: Energy

109. Current electricity

What is this type of electricity?

A flow of electrical charge. Electricity is the flow of electrons from one place to another through a conductor. Electrons jump from atom to atom in the conductor. Needs a closed circuit to flow. The kind of electricity that powers the appliances and heat in your home. The steady flow of electrons between objects or places. It comes from far away on wires.

Topic: Energy

110. Ohm's law

What does this law state?

Topic: Energy

111. Formula for Calculating Resistance

What is the formula?

R=V / I

R is measure in Ω

Topic: Energy

112. Formula for Calculating Current

What is the formula?

I = V / R

I is measured in Amperes

Topic: Energy

113. Formula for Calculating Voltage

What is the formula?

Topic: Energy

114. Series Circuits

What does this circuit do?

This circuit is a circuit in which resistors are arranged in a chain, so the current has only one path to take. The current is the same through each resistor. The total resistance of the circuit is found by simply adding up the resisitance values of the individual resistors. If one bulb goes out, the circuit wont work anymore because there is only one path. 

Topic: Energy

115. Parallel Circuits

What does this circuit do?

This circuit is a circuit in which the resistors are arranged with their heads connected together, and their tails connected together. The current in a parallel circuit breaks up, with some flowing along each parallel branch and re- combining when the branches meet again. The voltage across each resistor in parallel is the same. If a bulb were ever to go out, the circuit would still flow because there are other paths.