ESS First Semester Exam

Front

What is the formula for calculating the force of gravity between two objects?

Back

F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2, where F is the force of gravity, G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the objects, and r is the distance between their centers.

Front

What is the half-life of a radioactive isotope?

Back

The half-life is the time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay into a different isotope.

Front

How do you determine the age of a fossil using isotopes?

Back

By measuring the ratio of parent to daughter isotopes and knowing the half-life, you can calculate the age of the fossil.

Front

What is the significance of the melting point in geology?

Back

Rocks in the asthenosphere are near their melting point, which allows them to be ductile and flow.

Front

Define minerals in geology.

Back

Minerals are crystalline solids whose atoms form a regular repeating pattern.

Front

What is the astronomical unit (AU)?

Back

An astronomical unit is the average distance from the Earth to the Sun, approximately 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers.

Front

How does the distance from the Sun affect a planet's year?

Back

The farther a planet is from the Sun, the longer it takes to complete one orbit, resulting in a longer year.

Front

What is the gravitational constant (G)?

Back

The gravitational constant is a key quantity in Newton's law of universal gravitation, approximately equal to 6.674 × 10^-11 N(m/kg)^2.

Front

What is the relationship between mass and gravitational force?

Back

The gravitational force between two objects increases with the mass of the objects and decreases with the square of the distance between them.

Front

What is the process of radioactive decay?

Back

Radioactive decay is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation.