Final Study Guide

Astronomy

  1. What is the difference between a revolution and a rotation in our solar system?
  2. What is a solar system? Galaxy? Universe?
  3. Name the planets in our solar system from closest to the sun outward.
  4. How are the inner planets different from the outer planets?
  5. Why can’t the atmosphere of the gas giant planets escape into space?
  6. What force holds the planets in orbit around the sun?
  7. Where is the closest asteroid belt to our sun located?
  8. What is a shooting star? Why is it called a shooting star?

Big Bang Theory

  1. What is the bang theory about?
  2. According to the Big Bang Theory, about how old is the universe?
  3. Is the universe expanding or contracting?
  4. What was the universe like in the beginning?
  5. What is happening to the temperature of the universe over time?
  6. What is the evidence that supports the big bang theory?
  7. What is the Doppler effect?
  8. How is the Doppler effect related to red or blue shifting of starlight?

Lifecycle of a star

  1. What is the process that takes place in stars when two or more atoms moving at high speeds collide and fuse together to create a new atom, giving off light and heat in the process?
  2. What is a nebula?
  3. What is a protostar? What has to happen for nuclear fusion to begin?
  4. What stage do all stars enter once nuclear fusion starts?
  5. What happens during this stage?
  6. What is a Red Giant? What element is it fusing into carbon?
  7. What is a Super Red Giant? What elements are fused at this stage?
  8. What is a planetary nebula, Supernova, and white dwarf?
  9. What elements are formed during a supernova? What can a supernova become?
  10. What is the lifecycle of our sun?
  11. What two forces must be in constant balance for a star to survive?
  12. Can Astronomers tell what elements a star is made up of by analyzing its light? Its age? Size? Distance away?
  13. What is a light year?
  14. Are we made of stardust? Why or why not?

Chemistry

Part 1.

  1. What is chemistry?
  2. What are atoms and molecules?
  3. What is matter?
  4. What are the three common states of matter found on Earth?
  5. Is a state of matter a physical or chemical property?
  6. What is temperature a measure of?
  7. What is kinetic energy?
  8. What is conduction? What makes a good conductor? Give an example of a good conductor?
  9. What is heat?
  10. What happens to particles of gases, liquids and solids when they are heated?
  11. What happens when they are cooled?
  12. Do particles, or molecules, get bigger in size when they are heated?
  13. What happens to the attraction between molecules when you cool a gas, a liquid, and a solid?
  14. Compare a crystalline solid to a amorphous solid.

Part 2

  1. Is a change of state a physical or chemical property?
  2. What happens when you add energy to a substance?
  3. What happens when you take energy away from a substance?
  4. What are changes in states of matter due to?
  5. What does thermal mean?
  6. What happens during melting? Is energy added or taken away? What about heat? What about the attraction between the particles?
  7. What happens during freezing? Is energy added or taken away? What about heat? What about the attraction between the particles?
  8. What happens during vaporization? Is energy added or taken away? What about heat? What about the attraction between the particles?

What is boiling? Evaporation?

  1. What happens during condensation? Is energy added or taken away? What about heat? What about the attraction between the particles?

10.What happens during sublimation? Is energy added or taken away?

What about heat? What about the attraction between the particles?

  1. Know the changes of state graph. Be able to name any point on the graph.
  2. Why are the melting and freezing points the same?
  3. Why are the boiling (vaporization) point and condensation point the same?