Mark Vincent Apatan 11 - Ariary

Earth and Life Science

UNIQUENESS OF THE EARTH
Module 1 – Week 1.

What I know
1. Which of the following planets permits growth and life?

A. Earth

2. Which of the following gases is the most abundant in Earth’s atmosphere?

A. nitrogen

3. Which of the following is not true about the earth's atmosphere?

D. The atmosphere only consists of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and argon.

Characteristic of Earth
- The Earth’s rotation is gradually slowing
- The Earth was once believed to be the centre of the universe
- Earth has a powerful magnetic field
- The Earth is the densest planet in the Solar System
- The Earth is the 3rd planet from the sun
What’s More
Research about the characteristics of other planets in the Solar System which make them unfit for
growth and life.

Mercury
- Conditions on Mercury would make living there a challenge. The planet closest to the sun
has no atmosphere, oceans or visible signs of life. While mostly very hot on its day side, the
poles are cold enough to support megatons of water ice.
Venus
- With extreme surface temperatures reaching nearly 735 K (462 °C; 863 °F) and an
atmospheric pressure 90 times that of Earth, the conditions on Venus make water-based life as
we know it unlikely on the surface of the planet.

Mars
- The program found that its northern polar cap has a temperature below −110 °C (−166 °F) and
that the water vapor content in the atmosphere of Mars is five thousand times less than on
Earth. No signs of life were found.

Jupiter
- Jupiter's environment is probably not conducive to life as we know it. The temperatures,
pressures and materials that characterize this planet are most likely too extreme and volatile for
organisms to adapt to.

Saturn
- The second largest planet in the solar system, Saturn is composed mainly of gases such as
hydrogen and helium, with only a hint of water ice in its lower clouds. The low levels of water
and the huge pressures found there make it unlikely for life to exist within the planet itself.

Uranus
- There are a few problems. The first is the fact that Uranus has no solid surface. It's mostly
composed of ices: methane, water and ammonia. There's no process inside Uranus, like
volcanism on Earth, that would give life inside the planet a form of energy.

Neptune
- To find life on Neptune, the planet would need to have a source of energy that
bacterial life can exploit, as well as a standing source of liquid water. At its surface, the
temperature of Neptune dips down to 55 Kelvin. That's very cold, and there's no way liquid
water could exist.

What I Can Do
Imagine that you have a garden. Get one plant that could fit in a pot but do not put soil when you
transfer it. Put the plant inside a box and leave it for one week. What do you think will happen to the
plant? How would you relate this scenario with the different characteristics of the Earth?

- It dies.
Explanation:
Because it cannot survive without water and soil.
Assessment
1.Which of the following planets permits growth and life?
B. Earth
2. Which of the following gases is the most abundant in Earth’s atmosphere?
A. nitrogen

3. ____________ is a living medium for growth of all kinds of vegetation.

D. soil

4. Which of the following is true about the role of soil in growth and life on Earth?

B. The soil allows growth of different types of plants but not microorganisms

5. Which of the following is not true about the hydrosphere?

B. The hydrosphere contains all the water on our planet including ice and vapor.

6. Which of the following is not true about the earth's atmosphere?

B. The atmosphere only consists of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and argon.

7. Which of the following is not true about the soil?

C. It is a living medium—a medium for growth of all kinds of vegetation.

8. How do oxygen and carbon dioxide make the earth habitable?

D. Carbon dioxide and oxygen help prevent the entry of UV radiation.

9. How does Earth’s atmosphere protect us from the Sun's radiation?

C. Some of the sun's radiation is reflected away and absorbed by the atmosphere, clouds, and
the Earth's surface.

10. Which of the following characteristics of Earth help in the proliferation of life?

D. The presence of nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere makes the Earth habitable.
 MODULE – 2
What I know
What are the characteristics of these four subsystems

Characteristics of Amosphere

*Earth's atmosphere is composed of about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and one percent other
gases. These gases are found in layers (troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere,
thermosphere, and exosphere) defined by unique features such as temperature and pressure.
*The atmosphere has different layers – troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and
exosphere.
• The troposphere extends to about 14.5 km above the Earth's surface. It is the lowest layer where the
weather forms.
• The stratosphere is found 14.5 to 50 km above the Earth's surface. The ozone layer that protects the
Earth from the Sun's harmful UV radiation is found in this layer.
• The mesosphere extends from 50 to 85 km above the Earth's surface. It protects the Earth from the
impact of space debris.
• The thermosphere is found 85 to 600 km above the Earth's surface. It has charged particles that are
affected by the Earth's magnetic field. The particles create the Auroras or Northern and Southern lights.
• The exosphere is the farthest layer. It extends to about 10 000 km above the Earth's surface.

Characteristics of Geosphere

*Since 'geo' means 'ground,' the geosphere describes all of the rocks, minerals and ground that
are found on and in Earth. This includes all of the mountains on the surface, as well as all of the
liquid rock in the mantle below us and the minerals and metals of the outer and inner cores.
*There are three parts of Geosphere
 The crust, composed almost entirely of light elements, like silicon.
 The mantle, which is 68% of the Earth's mass.
 The core, the innermost layer; it is composed of very dense elements, such as nickel and iron.

Characteristics of Hydrosphere

* Hydro is a Greek root which means water. Hydrosphere is composed of all the water on Earth in any
form: water vapor, liquid water, and ice. It is comprised of 97.5% saltwater and 2.5% freshwater. It
includes all bodies of water such as oceans, lakes, rivers, and marshes. Clouds and rain are also part of
the hydrosphere.
The main characteristics of the hydrosphere are as follows:
 It is the layer that surrounds the earth.
 The water within it circulates continuously changing its physical state.
 It needs the sun to be able to make changes in water status.
 The salinity of the seas is 35 gr/l.
 Its temperature can vary depending on latitude and depth.
 Its density depends on the salinity
 The gases found in water are the same as those found in air.

Characteristics of Biosphere

*Bio is a Greek root that means life. The biosphere is comprised of all living things. It includes all
microbes, plants, and animals. It extends to the upper areas of the atmosphere where insects
and birds can be found. It also reaches the deep parts of the oceans where marine organisms
can still survive.
*Biosphere is a part of the Earth where all organisms (plants and animals) live. They live in thin
upper part of oceans and everywhere on/within the land mass. In higher altitude, UV radiation
and low temperatures disable life to spread. In the deep ocean, life is present in the depth of up
to 500 m below oceanic floor.

What is it
What will happen if matter or energy does not change from one form to another?
- The total amount of energy and matter in the Universe remains constant, merely changing
from one form to another. The First Law of Thermodynamics (Conservation) states
that energy is always conserved, it cannot be created or destroyed.

Whats more
-The main importance of studying the interaction between the four subsystems is to understand
how different aspects in nature corelate to each other. Studying the subsystems also show the
effect of pollution in nature.

What I can do
Imagine that you are part of NASA’s special mission and you are tasked to discuss the things needed to
replicate the Earth’s system in another planet. What are the things necessary to enable life in that
planet?

-Basic Requirements for Life

Energy. Warmth to allow liquid water to exist (or liquid methane?) Energy is needed to fuel
chemical reactions (metabolism) Complex Chemistry.

Assessment
1. Which of the following is not included in Earth’s subsystems?
A. photosphere

2. Hydrosphere includes all the ________ on Earth

A. landforms

3. Which of the following is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?

B. carbon dioxide

4. Which of the following are included in the geosphere?

C. rock

5. Which of the following is true about the Earth’s subsystems?

C. Earth’s subsystems interact with each other making life possible on Earth.

6. Which of the following is true about the geosphere?

B. It is the habitat for some species of plants and animals.

7. What will happen if the atmosphere on Earth is removed?

A. Ultraviolet rays will easily penetrate the Earth.

8. All of the following is true about the interaction of the biosphere with other subsystems, except
________.

B. Organisms in the biosphere increase the amount of water in the hydrosphere.

9. How does the atmosphere support other subsystems?

B. It supplies organisms the needed oxygen and carbon dioxide.

10. Which of the following are true about the hydrosphere?

A. Water can move from the Earth’s surface to the air by precipitation and then fall back to Earth by
evaporation.

Module 3
What I Know
Instruction: Place the terms in the boxes according to whether it belongs to the physical or chemical
properties of minerals?

Color solubility crystal habit

Streak hardness melting point

Luster cleavage

specific gravity tenacity

Chemical Properties Physical Properties

-color

-Hardness

-streak

-Melting point - crystal habit

- solubility

- tenacity

- luster

- cleavage

- specific gravity

What Is It
Is there a possibility for the physical characteristics of rock minerals to change over time? Explain your
answer.

- These changes usually happen very slowly. They may even happen below Earth's surface so
that we do not notice the changes. The physical and chemical properties of rocks are
constantly changing in a natural, never-ending cycle called the rock cycle. Most rocks contain
more than one mineral.

What’s More
Research on the different kinds of minerals found in common products (e.g. lipstick, glass) that you use
every day.

Glass silica sand, limestone, soda ash, borates, kaolin, lithium minerals,

potash, feldspar, fluorspar and sodium sulphate
Toothpaste  Calcium carbonate, limestone, sodium carbonate, fluorine

Hair cream Calcium carbonate

Lipstick  Mica, iron oxides,titanium dioxide, tin oxide, silica, soy glycerides

Plant fertilizers  Potash, phosphate, nitrogen, sulfur

Vegetable oil Clay, perlite, diatomite

 Medicines Calcium carbonate, magnesium, dolomite, kaolin, barium, iodine, sulfur, lithium

What I Can Do
Silicates like quartz are among the Earth’s most important natural resources. There would be no
computers, phones, glass, or bricks. All of these rely on silicate minerals as raw materials. What other
minerals are known to have important uses like silicates?

 - Silicate minerals are the most common of Earth's minerals and include quartz,

feldspar, mica, amphibole, pyroxene, and olivine.
 Silica tetrahedra, made up of silicon and oxygen, form chains, sheets, and frameworks,
and bond with other cations to form silicate minerals.
Assessment
1. It is a solid, inorganic, naturally occurring substance with a fixed structure and a definite
composition.
A. rock
2. It is the ability of a mineral to resist scratches
A. hardness

Q3. It describes how the mineral sparkles in light.

B. luster

4. Why does mica peel into thin sheets?

A. due to cleavage

5. Categorize the following mineral into its group.

amphibole pyroxene Mica, muscovite

hornblende augite biotite

6. How would you differentiate amphibole from olivine?

C. by specific gravity

7. Which of the following is the easiest way to differentiate mica from quartz?

D. Look at their overall shape.

8. Which of the following mineral is almost as hard as quartz?

A. diamond
9. Sander found an unknown mineral that has not been reported before. He observed the behavior of
the mineral when he tried to cut and crush it.

What physical characteristic of the mineral was examined by Sander?

C. Hardness

10. Hank, together with his colleagues, is in search for a mineral that is typically black in color. Its crystal
form is short and thick, with two cleavages that are nearly a right angle.

What rock-forming mineral are they looking for?

D. Quartz

Additional Activities
Soap Stone
Physical Characteristics Observations
Color dark green and have a white marks on it
Streak 1.1.4 streak
Luster 1.1.6 luster
Specific gravity 1
Hardness 1.1.9
Cleavage 1.1.8
Fracture 225.00 N/mm2
Tenacity 3g/cm
Crystal habit Square, when the stone touched it may feel soapy when it
touched