Physical Science Test

Front 1

What is a mineral?

Back 1

Naturally occuring, solid, inorganic, crystalline atomic structure, and has specific atomic structure

Front 2

Examples
Oil
Coal
Synthetic Diamond
Volcanic Glass
Tooth enamal
Ice

Back 2

No--not solid
No--not organic
No-not naturally occuring
Yes
No-not crystalline
No-Not organic
Yes

Front 3

What is an atom, and why do atoms bond together?

Back 3

Atom is the smallest building block of matter.
Minerals bond together to fill outer electron shells

Front 4

What types of bonds are usually the strongest?

Back 4

Covalent

Front 5

Why do minerals grow with peculiar, geometric shapes?

Back 5

Because they grow to fill whatever space they are in

Front 6

In what circumstances might they take other shapes?

Back 6

When they are in a different shaped space

Front 7

What are the eight most common elements in the continental crust

Back 7

Iron, aluminum, sodium, magnesium, silicon, oxygen, calcium, and potassium

Front 8

What group of minerals is the most common?

Back 8

Oxygen (and silicon)

Front 9

Why is it most common?

Back 9

Because of the vast majority of common (rock ofrming) minerals are silicates -- combinations of oxygen and silicon

Front 10

What group of minerals is the most common?

Back 10

Silicates

Front 11

Why is it the most common?

Back 11

Because silicon and oxygen which are hte two main ingredients in Silicates are the most common elements in the Earth's crust

Front 12

If more silica is present in a system, then what changes about hte nature of hte silicate minerals present?

Back 12

The cleavage of hte mineral changes because the cleavage occurs between the silicon-oxygen structures

Front 13

Atom

Back 13

The smallest particle that exists as an element

Front 14

Electron

Back 14

A negatively charged subatomic particle that has a negligible mass and that is found oustide an atom's nucleus

Front 15

Neutron

Back 15

A subatomic particle found in the nucleus of an atom. The neutron is electronically neutral and has a mass approximately that of a proton.

Front 16

Proton

Back 16

A positively charged subatomic particle found in the nucleus of an atom

Front 17

Energy Levels (shells)

Back 17

Spherical, negatively charged zones that surround the nucleus of an atom

Front 18

Atomic Number

Back 18

The number of protons in the nucleus (what is used to define a particular element)

Front 19

Mass Number

Back 19

The number of total protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom

Front 20

Element

Back 20

Substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical or physical means

Front 21

Ion

Back 21

An atom or molecule that possesses an eletrical charge (caused by an unequal charge of protons and electrons)

Front 22

Isotope

Back 22

Varieties of the same element but different mass
Nucleus contains the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons

Front 23

Rock

Back 23

Solid mass
Mineral or mineral-like matter
Occurs naturally
Most rocks are aggregate

Front 24

Crystalline

Back 24

The type of structure each mineral has that gives it a unique physical structure
Allows us to more easily identify the mineral
Crystalline Solids--atoms are arranged in a pattern repeated over in different directions

Front 25

Period Arrangement of Atoms

Back 25

Atoms are arranged according to their atomic number. This number is the amount of protons in the nucleus.

Front 26

Naturally occuring

Back 26

Mineral most form by natural, geological proceses

Front 27

Solid

Back 27

In order to be a mineral, substances must be solid at temps normally experienced at Earth's surface. Ice is a mineral, liquid water is not.

Front 28

Well-Defined Chemistry

Back 28

Most minerals are chemical compounds, made up of two or more elements

Front 29

Water Cycle

Back 29

The continuous interchange of water among the oceans, atmosphere, and continents. Powered by energy from the sun, it is a global system in which the atomosphere provides the link between the oceans and continents.The processes involved in the water cycle include: Precipitation, Evaporation, Condensation, Infiltration (the movement of rocks or soil through cracks and pore spaces), runoff (water that flows over the land rather than infiltrating into the ground), and transpiration (the release of water vapor to the atmosphere by plants)

Front 30

V-shaped Canyons

Back 30

These are canyons that have been eroded by water, which formed a V-Shape

Front 31

Landslides

Back 31

A geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rock falls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments. Although the action of gravity is the primary driving force for a landslide to occur, there are other contributing factors affecting the original slop stability. typically, pre-conditional factors build up specific sub-surface conditions that make the area/slope prone to failure, whereas actual landslide often requires a trigger before being released.

Front 32

Meandering Streams

Back 32

Streams that flow on floodplains move in sweeping bends called meanders. Once a bend in a channel begins to form, it grows larger. Erosion occurs on the outside of the meander where velocity and turbulence are greatest.

Front 33

Floodplains

Back 33

The side to side cutting of a stream eventually produces a flat valley floor called a floodplain.

Front 34

Sinkholes

Back 34

A depression produced in a region where soluble rock has been removed by ground water. The dissolving action of groundwater slowly removes rock, allowing surface depressions known as sinkholes to form.

Front 35

Geysers

Back 35

A fountain of hot water that ejects/shoots off periodically. Occurs where extensive underground chambers exist within hot igneous rocks.

Front 36

Artesian wells

Back 36

A well where the water rises above the level where it was initially encountered.

Front 37

Springs

Back 37

Water freely flowing from the ground in any weather with an inexhaustible supply and no visible source.

Front 38

Tectonic forces and uplift

Back 38

Tectonics are the deformation of Earth's crust and result in the formation of structural features like mountains.

Front 39

Mass wasting

Back 39

The transfer of rock and soil downslope because of gravity

Front 40

Erosion

Back 40

Physical removal of material by agent, like water, waves, wind or ice.

Front 41

Deposition

Back 41

Process which water vapor is changed directly to a solid without passing through a liquid state. Causes deltas and natural levees.

Front 42

Water Velocity

Back 42

A measure of how fast water flows. The distance that water travels in a unit of time. It is determined by gradient, shape, size, and roughness of channel

Front 43

Turbulence

Back 43

Stream flow is usually turbulent with water moving in erractic fashion characterized by swirling motion

Front 44

Stream Gradient

Back 44

The slope of a stream channel expressed as the vertical drop of a stream over a specified distance.

Front 45

Base level

Back 45

The lowest point to which a stream may erode its channel. there is ultimate base level and temporary/local base level. Any change in base level will cause a stream to adjust and establish a new balance.

Front 46

Groundwater Flow

Back 46

Rainfall that soaks into the ground restuls in groundwater.
The amount of ground water depends on steepness of hte slope, nature of surface material, intensity of rainfall, and type/amount of vegeation.

Front 47

Dissolution and precipitation of minerals

Back 47

Minerals are dissolved and brought to a stream by groundwater and dispersed throughout the flow.

Front 48

Tectonic forces and uplift

Back 48

Tectonics are the deformation of Earth's crust and result in the formation of structural features like mountains.

Front 49

Mass wasting

Back 49

The transfer of rock and soil downslope because of gravity

Front 50

Erosion

Back 50

Physical removal of material by agent, like water, waves, wind or ice.

Front 51

Deposition

Back 51

Process which water vapor is changed directly to a solid without passing through a liquid state. Causes deltas and natural levees.

Front 52

Water Velocity

Back 52

A measure of how fast water flows. The distance that water travels in a unit of time. It is determined by gradient, shape, size, and roughness of channel