ESC 100C final exam review 100%
Accurate!
What are Kepler's Laws? - ANSWERS1)every planet's orbit is an ellipse with the Sun at
a focus
2)a line joining the Sun and a planet sweeps out equal areas in equal times;
3) the square of a planet's orbital period is proportional to the cube of the semi-major
axis of its orbit
What is the presumed age of the universe? - ANSWERS13.77 billion years old
What properties does an H-R diagram show? - ANSWERSa scatter plot of stars
showing the relationship between the stars' absolute magnitudes or luminosities versus
their stellar classifications or effective temperatures.
What are the four distinct types of precipitation? - ANSWERSrain, snow,hail, and sleet
Draw and label the electromagnetic spectrum. - ANSWERS
What are the effects of localized longshore currents? - ANSWERSWhen a wave breaks
at a more acute (steep) angle on a beach, encounters a steeper beach slope, or is very
high, longshore currents increase in velocity.
What are the effects of rip currents - ANSWERSThese currents can sweep even the
strongest swimmer out to sea. Because rip currents move perpendicular to shore and
can be very strong, beach swimmers need to be careful. A person caught in a rip can be
swept away from shore very quickly.
Why does FL experience the most thunderstorms? - ANSWERSFlorida is surrounded
by water, there are plenty of sources of water vapor to feed thunderstorms. Florida
receives plenty of sunlight, which warms the air near the ground and causes the air to
become unstable. All thunderstorms have an updraft, where air rises rapidly to seven to
10 miles above the ground.
What is a spring tide? - ANSWERSa tide just after a new or full moon, when there is the
greatest difference between high and low water.
What is a neap tide? - ANSWERSa tide just after the first or third quarters of the moon
when there is least difference between high and low water.
What is a diurnal tide? - ANSWERStidal pattern with one high tide and one low tide
each lunar day
, What is a semidiurnal tide? - ANSWERStwo high tides and two low tides each day
What is a mixed tide? - ANSWERSTwo unequal high and low tides daily
Discuss El Nino - ANSWERSEl Niño is anchored in the tropical Pacific, but it affects
climate "downstream" in the United States. In the summer, El Niño's primary influence
on U.S. climate is on the hurricane season in both the eastern Pacific and the Atlantic.
In winter, it influences the jet stream and the path of storms that move from the Pacific
over the United States.
Discuss La Nina - ANSWERSDuring La Niña events, trade winds are even stronger
than usual, pushing more warm water toward Asia. Off the west coast of the Americas,
upwelling increases, bringing cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface.These cold waters
in the Pacific push the jet stream northward. This tends to lead to drought in the
southern U.S. and heavy rains and flooding in the Pacific Northwest and Canada.
During a La Niña year, winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the South and
cooler than normal in the North. La Niña can also lead to a more severe hurricane
season.
Describe the layers of the atmosphere. - ANSWERStroposphere, stratosphere,
mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere
What are the causes of sea level rise? - ANSWERSGlobal warming is causing global
mean sea level to rise in two ways. First, glaciers and ice sheets worldwide are melting
and adding water to the ocean. Second, the volume of the ocean is expanding as the
water warms.
Why is Venus often called Earth's twin? - ANSWERSbecause they're similar in size and
structure, but Venus has extreme surface heat and a dense, toxic atmosphere.
Draw and label the parts of a ocean wave. - ANSWERS
What is the dew point? - ANSWERSthe temperature to which air must be cooled to
become saturated with water vapor. It is assumed that air pressure and water content is
constant. When cooled further, the airborne water vapor will condense to form liquid
water.
What is the presumed age of the solar system? - ANSWERS4.54 billion years
Explain the Doppler Effect including the red and blue shifts. - ANSWERSWhen an
object moves away from us, the light is shifted to the red end of the spectrum, as its
wavelengths get longer. If an object moves closer, the light moves to the blue end of the
spectrum, as its wavelengths get shorter.
Accurate!
What are Kepler's Laws? - ANSWERS1)every planet's orbit is an ellipse with the Sun at
a focus
2)a line joining the Sun and a planet sweeps out equal areas in equal times;
3) the square of a planet's orbital period is proportional to the cube of the semi-major
axis of its orbit
What is the presumed age of the universe? - ANSWERS13.77 billion years old
What properties does an H-R diagram show? - ANSWERSa scatter plot of stars
showing the relationship between the stars' absolute magnitudes or luminosities versus
their stellar classifications or effective temperatures.
What are the four distinct types of precipitation? - ANSWERSrain, snow,hail, and sleet
Draw and label the electromagnetic spectrum. - ANSWERS
What are the effects of localized longshore currents? - ANSWERSWhen a wave breaks
at a more acute (steep) angle on a beach, encounters a steeper beach slope, or is very
high, longshore currents increase in velocity.
What are the effects of rip currents - ANSWERSThese currents can sweep even the
strongest swimmer out to sea. Because rip currents move perpendicular to shore and
can be very strong, beach swimmers need to be careful. A person caught in a rip can be
swept away from shore very quickly.
Why does FL experience the most thunderstorms? - ANSWERSFlorida is surrounded
by water, there are plenty of sources of water vapor to feed thunderstorms. Florida
receives plenty of sunlight, which warms the air near the ground and causes the air to
become unstable. All thunderstorms have an updraft, where air rises rapidly to seven to
10 miles above the ground.
What is a spring tide? - ANSWERSa tide just after a new or full moon, when there is the
greatest difference between high and low water.
What is a neap tide? - ANSWERSa tide just after the first or third quarters of the moon
when there is least difference between high and low water.
What is a diurnal tide? - ANSWERStidal pattern with one high tide and one low tide
each lunar day
, What is a semidiurnal tide? - ANSWERStwo high tides and two low tides each day
What is a mixed tide? - ANSWERSTwo unequal high and low tides daily
Discuss El Nino - ANSWERSEl Niño is anchored in the tropical Pacific, but it affects
climate "downstream" in the United States. In the summer, El Niño's primary influence
on U.S. climate is on the hurricane season in both the eastern Pacific and the Atlantic.
In winter, it influences the jet stream and the path of storms that move from the Pacific
over the United States.
Discuss La Nina - ANSWERSDuring La Niña events, trade winds are even stronger
than usual, pushing more warm water toward Asia. Off the west coast of the Americas,
upwelling increases, bringing cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface.These cold waters
in the Pacific push the jet stream northward. This tends to lead to drought in the
southern U.S. and heavy rains and flooding in the Pacific Northwest and Canada.
During a La Niña year, winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the South and
cooler than normal in the North. La Niña can also lead to a more severe hurricane
season.
Describe the layers of the atmosphere. - ANSWERStroposphere, stratosphere,
mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere
What are the causes of sea level rise? - ANSWERSGlobal warming is causing global
mean sea level to rise in two ways. First, glaciers and ice sheets worldwide are melting
and adding water to the ocean. Second, the volume of the ocean is expanding as the
water warms.
Why is Venus often called Earth's twin? - ANSWERSbecause they're similar in size and
structure, but Venus has extreme surface heat and a dense, toxic atmosphere.
Draw and label the parts of a ocean wave. - ANSWERS
What is the dew point? - ANSWERSthe temperature to which air must be cooled to
become saturated with water vapor. It is assumed that air pressure and water content is
constant. When cooled further, the airborne water vapor will condense to form liquid
water.
What is the presumed age of the solar system? - ANSWERS4.54 billion years
Explain the Doppler Effect including the red and blue shifts. - ANSWERSWhen an
object moves away from us, the light is shifted to the red end of the spectrum, as its
wavelengths get longer. If an object moves closer, the light moves to the blue end of the
spectrum, as its wavelengths get shorter.
