M5 Science Notes

Prepared by: Teacher Jean

Topics
1. Layers of the Earth
2. Slow Processes that Change the Surface of the Earth
3. Sources of Energy- Renewable and Non-renewable sources
1. Layers of the Earth
 Our Earth consists of three layers- the crust, mantle, and core.
The Crust
 The crust is made up of rocks and minerals.
 Much of the crust is covered by water, sand, soil, and ice.
 Below the loose layer of soil, sand, and crumbled rocks found on
Earth, is the bedrock, which is a solid rock.
 The crust makes up less than 1% of the Earth’s mass.
 There are 8 elements that make up 99% of the Earth’s crust.
They are oxygen, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, calcium,
sodium, potassium, and iron.
The Mantle
 It is the layer below the crust.
 It is the solid casing of the Earth and is about 2,900 km thick.
 It makes up about 70% of the Earth’s mass.
 It is made of silicon, magnesium, oxygen, aluminum, and iron.
 Its temperature is between 500oC and 2,000oC.
The Core
 The core is the center of the Earth.
 It makes up about 30% of the Earth’s mass.
 The outer core is mainly made of molten iron and nickel, and it
is about 2,200 km thick.
 Its temperature is between 4,000oC and 6,000oC.
 The inner core is about 1,270 km thick and is made of solid iron
and nickel. This is mainly due to the extreme pressure. Its
temperature can be as high as 7,000oC.

2. Understanding Planet Earth

 Earth is the only place in the universe in the known universe
confirmed to host life and is the only one known for sure to have
liquid water on the surface.
  It has liquid water.
 It has surface or lithosphere which includes the crust
and the upper mantle.
 It has an atmosphere that shelters it from the worst of
the sun’s rays.
 About 70% of the surface of the Earth is covered by
liquid or frozen water.’
 Earth is called the “Blue Planet.”

The Subsystem of the Earth

1. Atmosphere- the gaseous layer above the Earth’s surface
primarily composed of different gases such as
78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen.
2. Biosphere- the zone of the Earth where all
forms of life exist. This serves as the
ecosystem of all living and non-living
organisms.
3. Geosphere- the solid part of the Earth that
consists of the entire planet from the center of
the core to the outer crust. It includes the core,
mantle, and crust of the Earth.
4. Hydrosphere- the water part of the Earth that
includes oceans and glaciers. Oceans cover
71% of the Earth.

3. Slow Processes that Change the Surface of

the Earth
A. Weathering- is the process where a rock is broken down into smaller pieces on the
Earth’s surface.
Types of Weathering
a) Physical weathering- also called mechanical weathering, breaks down rocks
without changing their chemical compositions. This process happens mainly
dure to temperature changes when there is a big difference between the day
and night temperatures.
b) Biological weathering- Living things contribute to weathering. Roots grow
into cracks of rocks where water and nutrients might
be. As roots grow, they wedge the rocks apart.
Sometimes, burrowing animals, even humans break
down rocks into smaller pieces.
c) Chemical weathering- involves chemical reactions.
Rain is naturally slightly acidic as carbon dioxide
dissolves in it. Some rocks such as limestone have
minerals in them that react with acidic rainwater. The
chemical reactions make the rock weathered.
5. Sources of Energy- Renewable and Non-renewable

sources
 We use energy to do work.
 There are many sources of energy on our Earth.
 We can classify them into non-renewable energy sources
and renewable energy sources.
Non-renewable energy sources
 are energy sources that will not replenish quickly and may
run out soon.
 Most non-renewable energy sources are fossil fuels.
 Fossil fuels- are hydrocarbon compounds formed from the
decay of organic matter over 300 million years ago.
  Coal, petroleum, and oil shale are the types of fossil fuels currently in use. These materials are made into fuels for
different kinds of equipment and are used in manufacturing.
Disadvantages of using fossil fuels
 The supply of fossil fuels is limited.
 Fossil fuels do not replenish themselves and the formation of fossil fuels takes millions of years and specific conditions.
 At our current consumption rate, we will simply run out of fossil fuels in 50 to 100 years later.
 Global warming- Combustion of fossil fuels give out a large amount of carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas.
 It is responsible for global warming, the rising of the overall temperature of the Earth. This phenomenon is associated with
frequent heavy rainfall, floods, and droughts.
 Pollution- Combustion of fossil fuels also release carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxide and some heavy metals into the air.
 Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas. Oxides of nitrogen and sulphur create acid rain when they are mixed with water.
Acid rain is harmful to plants, animals and stone and metal artworks. Nitrogen oxides contribute to the formation of smog
too.
Renewable energy sources
 Renewable energy sources are energy sources that can be replaced after being used.
 Examples of renewable energy sources are the Sun, Wind, Running water, Waves, Biomass, Heat from inside the Earth, and hydrogen.

5. References:
 What is Earth made of? --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGVJtsFaxEU&t=17s
 Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition Experiment-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MFLgtti51I
 Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition Overview- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70y3BpmUpRc
 Non-renewable Energy Sources- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpEJnnpye-k
 Renewable Energy Sources- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giek094C_l4