Science Midterm Study Guide

Topics: Chapters 1-6 & Chapter 7.1-7.3*

*Chapter 7 will only appear on your midterm if we have time to cover these concepts in class before the midterm exam.

Format:Vocabulary (fill in the blank or matching), Multiple Choice, Short Answer, Label the Diagrams

Study Tips: Review notes, Quizlet, End of Chapter Study Guides, Review Textbook

*Chapter 7 will only appear on your midterm if we have time to cover these concepts in class before the midterm exam.

Here is what you should know from each chapter:

Chapter 1

Identify and explainthe skills that scientists use to learn about the world:

  • Observing
  • Classifying
  • Making Models
  • Inferring
  • Predicting
  • Analyzing

Explain what scientific investigations involve

Explain the difference between scientific and nonscientific thinking (including pseudoscience)

Explain what scientific inquiry is and how it involves posing questions and developing hypotheses

Explain how to design and conduct an experiment so that it uses sound scientific principles (ex: controlled experiments, repeated trials, etc.)

Identify dependent and independent variables in scientific investigations

Identify sources of error in scientific investigations

Important Vocabulary:

  • Science
  • Observation
  • Quantitative Observation
  • Qualitative Observation
  • Inferring
  • Predicting
  • Analyzing
  • Pseudoscience
  • Scientific Inquiry
  • Hypothesis
  • Independent Variable
  • Dependent Variable
  • Controlled Experiment
  • Bias
  • Replication

Chapter 2

Explain what the SI system is and why scientists use it

Know the SI units for length, mass, weight, volume, density, time and temperature

Be able to convert between SI units and compare the size of units (there will not be a unit ladder on the exam!)

Know the formula for density and use it to calculate the density or mass or volume of an object

Know how to use math tools including mean, median, mode, range and percent error

Know the difference between accuracy and precision

Know what significant figures are and be able to use correct significant figures in addition/subtraction and multiplication/division

Use graphs to identify trends, make predictions and recognize anomalous data

Review the laboratory safety rules from the beginning of the year

Important Vocabulary:

  • Metric System
  • International System of Units (SI)
  • Mass
  • Weight
  • Volume
  • Meniscus
  • Density
  • Estimate
  • Significant Figures
  • Mean
  • Median
  • Mode
  • Range
  • Anomalous Data
  • Percent Error
  • Graph
  • Linear Graph
  • Nonlinear Graph
  • Outlier

Chapter 3

Know the 4 main spheres of the Earth: atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere) and be able to give examples of each

Know that sun is the main source of energy for all of the spheres

Explain that lands are constantly being created and destroyed by competing forces

Explain what constructive forces are and give examples

Explain what destructive forces are and give examples

Know what weathering and erosion are and how these forces shape the Earth’s surface

Know the layers of the Earth and be able to label them on a diagram

Describe how pressure and temperature change between each layer of the Earth

Describe the composition of the main layers of the Earth

Explain the 3 types of heat transfer

Know how temperature affects a liquid’s density

Know what convection currents are and be able to explain how they work in the Earth

Important Vocabulary:

  • Atmosphere
  • Geosphere
  • Hydrosphere
  • Biosphere
  • Constructive Force
  • Destructive Force
  • Crust
  • Basalt
  • Granite
  • Mantle
  • Lithosphere
  • Asthenosphere
  • Outer Core
  • Inner Core

Chapter 4

Explain Wegener’s hypothesis about the continents

Explain what mid-ocean ridges are and how they are formed

Explain the process of sea-floor spreading

Explain what happens at deep ocean trenches

Know the theory of plate tectonics

Explain the motion of the tectonic plates and why they move

Know the three types of plate boundaries

Explain how different landforms result from different plate boundaries

Important Vocabulary:

  • Continental Drift
  • Pangaea
  • Fossil
  • Mid Ocean Ridge
  • Sea Floor Spreading
  • Deep Ocean Trench
  • Subduction
  • Plate
  • Divergent Boundary
  • Transform Boundary
  • Divergent Boundary
  • Plate Tectonics
  • Fault
  • Rift Valley

Chapter 5

Explain the 3 forces in the earth’s crust that change the shape and volume of rock over millions of years

Know what a fault is and how it forms

Know the 3 different types of faults and be ale to explain the movement that occurs at each fault

Be able to identify faults based on diagrams

Know how anticlines and synclines are formed

Know how fold mountains and fault block mountains are formed

Know the types of seismic waves

Describe at least one of the scales used to measure earthquakes

Explain what an earthquake’s focus and epicenter is

Important Vocabulary:

  • Stress
  • Tension
  • Compression
  • Shearing
  • Normal Fault
  • Reverse Fault
  • Strike-Slip Fault
  • Earthquake
  • Focus
  • Epicenter
  • P Wave
  • S Wave

Chapter 6

Explain how volcanoes form at boundaries of tectonic plates

Know which boundaries can lead to the formation of volcanoes

Know what a hot spot is and where it is located

Know the parts of a volcano (be able to label a diagram of a volcano)

Know the difference between quiet and explosive eruptions

Know the 3 stages of a volcano’s activity

Know what a pyroclastic flow is and why it causes destruction

Know the landforms that result from lava

Know the landforms that result from magma

Important Vocabulary:

  • Volcano
  • Ring of Fire
  • Magma
  • Lava
  • Hot Spot
  • Magma Chamber
  • Pipe
  • Vent
  • Lava Flow
  • Crater
  • Silica
  • Pyroclastic Flow
  • Dormant
  • Extinct
  • Caldera
  • Cinder Cone
  • Composite Volcano
  • Shield Volcano
  • Volcanic Neck
  • Dike
  • Sill
  • Batholith

Chapter 7

**This is new material. These topics will appear on your midterm exam only if we have time to cover them in class.**

Explain how fossils form

Describe the different types of fossils

Explain why scientists research fossils

Explain how the age of rock changes in each layer of rock

Explain how layers can change order

Explain radioactive decay

Calculate the age of rocks using an element’s half life

Explain how scientists use radioactive dating to determine the ages of materials

Important Vocabulary:

  • Fossil
  • Mold
  • Cast
  • Petrified Fossil
  • Carbon Film
  • Trace Fossil
  • Paleontologist
  • Evolution
  • Extinct
  • Relative Age
  • Absolute Age
  • Law of Superposition
  • Extrusion
  • Intrusion
  • Fault
  • Index Fossil
  • Unconformity
  • Radioactive Decay
  • Half-Life