Semester 09
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149 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 apparent magnitude | the brightness of a star when viewed from Earth |
| astronomical unit (AU) | average distance from Earth to the sun |
| atmosphere | the gaseous portion of a planet; the planet's envelope of air; |
| aurora | a bright display of ever changing light caused by solar radiation interacting with the upper atmosphere in the region of the poles |
| barometer | instrument that measures atmospheric pressure |
| big bang theory | the theory that proposes that the universe originated as a single mass, which subsequently exploded |
| black hole | massive star that has collapsed to such a small volume that its gravity prevents the escape of everything, including light |
| cold front | a front along which a cold air mass thrusts beneath a warmer air mass |
| comet | a small body made of rocky and metallic pieces held together by frozen gases |
| conduction | the transfer of heat through matter by molecular activity; Energy is transferred through collisions from one molecule to another |
| constellation | an apparent group of stars originally named for mythical characters |
| convection | the transfer of heat by the movement of a mass or substance; it can take place only in fluids |
| Coriolis Effect | the apparet deflective force of Earth's rotation on all free-moving objects, including the atmosphere and oceans; Deflection is to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere |
| astronomy | study of the universe |
| electromagnetic spectrum | the arrangement of electromagnetic radiation according to wavelength |
| El Nino | the name given to the periodic warming of the ocean that occurs in the central and eastern Pacific |
| front | the boundary between two adjoining air masses having contrasting characteristics |
| galaxy | a group of stars, dust, and gases held together by gravity |
| galaxy cluster | a system of galaxies containing from several to thousands of member galaxies |
| geocentric | describes the concept of an Earth-centered universe |
| geothermal energy | energy that can be extracted from Earth's internal heat, for example, natural steam used for power generation |
| global warming | the increase in average temperatures of Earth and the atmosphere due in part to increase carbon dioxide levels |
| heliocentric | describes the view that the sun is at the center of the solar system |
| H-R Diagram | a plot of stars according to their absolute magnitudes and temperatures |
| Hubble's Law | a law that states that the galaxies are retreating from the Milky Way at a speed that is proportional to their distance |
| humid subtropical climate | a climate generally located on the eastern side of a continent and characterized by hot, sultry summers and cool winters |
| Jovian planet | the Jupiter like planets; Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. These planets have relatively low densities and are huge gas giants |
| Koppen Classification System | a system for classifying climates based on mean monthly and annual values of temperature and precipitation |
| longitude | the distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees |
| lunar eclipse | an eclipse of the moon; occurs when the moon passes through Earth's shadow |
| lunar regolith | a thin. gray layer on the surface of the moon, consisting of loosely compacted, fragmented material believed to have formed by repeated impacts of meteorites |
| main-sequence star | a star that falls into the main sequence category on the H-R diagram; this category contains the majority of stars and runs diagonally from the upper left to the lower right on the H-R diagram |
| meteor | the luminous phenomenon observed when a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up, popularly called a shooting star |
| meteorite | any portion of a meteoroid that reaches Earth's surface |
| nebula | a cloud of gas and/or dust in space |
| neutron star | a star of extremely high density composed entirely of neutrons |
| ozone | a molecule of oxygen containing three oxygen atoms |
| perihelion | the point in the orbit of a planet where it is closest to the sun |
| phases of the moon | the progression of changes in the moon's appearance during the month |
| photosphere | the region of the sun that radiates energy into space; visible surface of the sun |
| planetesimal | small, irregularly shaped body formed by colliding matter |
| pluton | an intrusive igneous structure that results from the cooling and hardening of magma beneath the surface of Earth |
| polar easterlies | in the global pattern of prevailing winds, winds that blow from the polar high toward the polar low; |
| polar front | a stormy frontal zone separating cold air masses of polar origin from warm air masses of tropical origin |
| polar zone | the region between 66.5 degrees north and south latitudes and the poles; the sun's rays strike at a very small angle in the polar zone |
| pressure gradient | the amount of pressure change occurring over a given distance |
| prevailing wind | a wind that consistently blows from one direction more than from another |
| prominence | a concentration of gases above the solar surface that appears as a bright archlike structure |
| protostar | a collapsing cloud of dust and gas destined to become a star; a developing star not yet hot enough to engage in nuclear fusion |
| pulsar | a variable radio source of small size that emits radio pulses in very regular periods |
| radiation | the transfer of energy (heat) through space by electromagnetic waves |
| radioactivity | the spontaneous decay of certain unstable atomic nuclei |
| ray | any of a system of bright elongated streaks, sometimes associated with a crater on the moon |
| red giant | a large, cool star of high luminosity; a star occupying the upper right portion of the H-R diagram |
| reflecting telescope | a telescope that concentrates light from distant objects by using a concave mirror |
| reflection | the process whereby light bounces back from an object at the same angle at which it encounters a surface and with the same intensity |
| refracting telescope | a telescope that uses a lens to bend and concentrate the light from distant objects |
| revolution | the motion of one body about another, as Earth about the sun |
| rotation | the spinning of a body, such as Earth, about its axis |
| scattering | the redirecting (in all directions) of light by small particles and gas molecules in the atmosphere; the result is more light rays with weaker intensity |
| solar eclipse | an eclipse of the sun; a solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves in a line directly between Earth and the sun, casting a shadow on earth |
| solar flare | a sudden and tremendous eruption in the solar chromosphere |
| solar wind | streams of protons and electrons ejected at high speed from the solar corona |
| spectroscopy | the study of the properties of light that depend on wavelength |
| stratosphere | the layer of the atmosphere immediately above the troposphere, characterized by increasing temperatures with height, due to the concentration of ozone |
| subarctic climate | climate found north of the humid continental climate and south of the polar climate; characterized by bitterly cold winters and short cool summers |
| sunspot | a dark spot on the sun, which is cool by contrast to the surrounding photosphere |
| supergiant | a very large, very bright red giant star |
| supernova | an exploding star that increases in brightness many 1000s of times |
| temperate zone | region located between 23.5 degrees and 66.5 degrees north and south of the equator |
| temperature | a measure of the average kinetic energy of individual atoms or molecules in a substance |
| temperature inversion | a layer of limited depth in the atmosphere of limited depth where the temperature increases rather than decreases with height |
| Element | A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical or physical means |
| Atomic Number | The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom |
| Energy Level | One of several distinct regions around the nucleus of an atom where electrons are located |
| Isotopes | An atom with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons for a given element |
| Mass Number | The number of electrons and protons in the nucleus of an atom |
| Chemical Bond | A force that holds together atoms that form a compound |
| Covalent Bond | A bond that forms when atoms share electrons |
| Metallic Bond | A bond that forms when electrons are shared by metallic ions |
| Periodic Table | A table of the elements arranged according to repeated changes in properties |
| Group | In the periodic table each of the 18 vertical columns of elements |
| Dot Diagram | A diagram to represent electrons in the outer energy level of an atom |
| Metal | Elements usually having these common properties: shiny, good conductors of heat and electricity, are solids at room temperature. |
| Nonmetal | Elements that usually are gases or brittle solids at room temperature; most do not conduct heat or electricity well. |
| Metalloid | Elements having properties of both metals and nonmetals. |
| Ion | A positively or negatively charged atom |
| Ionic Bond | A type of chemical bond formed by the attraction between opposite charges of the ions in an ionic compound |
| isotope | atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons |
| Chemical Symbol | An abbreviated way to write the name of an element |
| Nucleus | The positively charged center of an atom |
| Electron | A negatively charged particle surrounding the nucleus |
| Proton | Atomic particle with a positive charge that is part of an atoms nucleus |
| Neutron | Atomic particle with with no charge that is part of an atom's nucleus |
| Electron Cloud | Region where electrons most probably are found surrounding the nucleus of an atom |
| Periodic Table | A table of the elements arranged according to repeated changes in properties |
| Dot Diagram | A diagram to represent electrons in the outer energy level of an atom |
| Period | A horizontal row in the periodic table |
| Metal | Elements usually having these common properties: shiny, good conductors of heat and electricity, are solids at room temperature. |
| Nonmetal | Elements that usually are gases or brittle solids at room temperature; most do not conduct heat or electricity well. |
| Metalloid | Elements having properties of both metals and nonmetals. |
| isotope | atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons |
| average atomic mass | the average mass of the mixture of its isotopes |
| Chemical Formula | A precise statement that tells which elements are in a compound and their ratios |
| Chemically Stable | Describes an atom whose outer energy level is completely filled with electrons |
| Oxidation Number | A positive or negative number assigned to an element to show its combining ability in a compound |
| latitude | distance north and south of the equator |
| longitude | distance east or west of the prime meridian |
| hypothesis | a tentative explanation that is tested to determine if it is valid |
| apparent magnitude | the brightness of a star when viewed from Earth |
| atmosphere | the gaseous portion of a planet; the planet's envelope of air; |
| barometer | instrument that measures atmospheric pressure |
| big bang theory | the theory that proposes that the universe originated as a single mass, which subsequently exploded |
| black hole | massive star that has collapsed to such a small volume that its gravity prevents the escape of everything, including light |
| cold front | a front along which a cold air mass thrusts beneath a warmer air mass |
| comet | a small body made of rocky and metallic pieces held together by frozen gases |
| conduction | the transfer of heat through matter by molecular activity; Energy is transferred through collisions from one molecule to another |
| constellation | an apparent group of stars originally named for mythical characters |
| continuous spectrum | an uninterrupted band of light emitted by an incandescent solid, liquid or gas under pressure |
| convection | the transfer of heat by the movement of a mass or substance; it can take place only in fluids |
| Coriolis Effect | the apparet deflective force of Earth's rotation on all free-moving objects, including the atmosphere and oceans; Deflection is to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere |
| Corona | the outer weak layer of the solar atmosphere |
| cyclone | a low-pressure center characterized by a counter-clockwise flow of air in the Northern Hemisphere |
| electromagnetic spectrum | the arrangement of electromagnetic radiation according to wavelength |
| El Nino | the name given to the periodic warming of the ocean that occurs in the central and eastern Pacific |
| emission spectrum | a series of bright lines of particular wavelengths produced by a hot gas under low pressure |
| front | the boundary between two adjoining air masses having contrasting characteristics |
| galaxy | a group of stars, dust, and gases held together by gravity |
| galaxy cluster | a system of galaxies containing from several to thousands of member galaxies |
| geocentric | describes the concept of an Earth-centered universe |
| geothermal energy | energy that can be extracted from Earth's internal heat, for example, natural steam used for power generation |
| geothermal field | an area of land where magma lies relatively close to the surface and heats the groundwater |
| geothermal gradient | the gradual increase in temperature with depth in the crust |
| global warming | the increase in average temperatures of Earth and the atmosphere due in part to increase carbon dioxide levels |
| gradient | the slope of a stream over a certain distance |
| greenhouse effect | the heating of Earth's surface and atmosphere from solar radiation being absorbed and emitted by the atmosphere, mainly by water vapor and carbon dioxide |
| heliocentric | describes the view that the sun is at the center of the solar system |
| heat | thermal energy transferred from one object to another |
| hot spot | a concentration of heat in the mantle capable of producing magma, which rises to Earth's surface; The Pacific Plate moves over a hot spot, producing the Hawaiian Islands |
| H-R Diagram | a plot of stars according to their absolute magnitudes and temperatures |
| Hubble's Law | a law that states that the galaxies are retreating from the Milky Way at a speed that is proportional to their distance |
| humid subtropical climate | a climate generally located on the eastern side of a continent and characterized by hot, sultry summers and cool winters |
| hypothesis | a tentative explanation that is tested to determine if it is valid |
| Jovian planet | the Jupiter like planets; Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. These planets have relatively low densities and are huge gas giants |
| Koppen Classification System | a system for classifying climates based on mean monthly and annual values of temperature and precipitation |
| latitude | the distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees |
| light-year | the distance light travels in a year, about 9.5 trillion km |
| lunar eclipse | an eclipse of the moon; occurs when the moon passes through Earth's shadow |
| main-sequence star | a star that falls into the main sequence category on the H-R diagram; this category contains the majority of stars and runs diagonally from the upper left to the lower right on the H-R diagram |
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