MATERIAL FOR MIDTERM EXAM, FROM TEXT:
Chapter 1 all
Chapter 2 (excludes astronomy)
Chapter 3 (excludes atomic theory)
Chapter 4 (excludes rock classification)
Chapter 5 all
Chapter 6 all
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
KNOW FACTS ABOUT THE EARTH!
For example: age, size, density, composition, etc.
FORMAT OF THE EXAM:
NO multiple choice.
Will have short answers, short essays, a few longer essays, fill-in, drawings.
Also, there will be problems with computations required. (BRING CALCULATOR)
Advice: Don't write to excess, answer the questions clearly and concisely.
EXAMPLES of some questions from previous year's Exam #1:
Plates (20 points total for this question)
a) Define the term "plates" as used in the Plate Tectonic theory.
b) How many major plates currently exist?
c) Name a plate with a continent and another largely oceanic plate.
d) How fast do plates move in a year? In a million years?
e) What are the three types of plate boundaries? Give an example of each and sketch each.
Continents and Geological Time (20 points total for this question)
a) What is the current estimate for the age of the Earth, and how is it determined?
b) What is the age of the oldest rock found to date? Why does this differ from the estimate above? Where does this rock come from?
c) Radioactive 238Uranium decays to what product? With a half life of 4.5 b.y., how long until only 25% remains of the original radioactive parent?
d) Assuming Uranium and all other radioactive isotopes decayed 100 times faster, what would be the influence on Earth history? On plate tectonics? Would these isotopes be useful for dating rocks?
e) How does the age of the ocean floor compare with the continents? What is the oldest? The youngest ocean floor? Why the discrepancy?